Shelby County and counties across the nation are charged with making sure the COVID-19 vaccine is distributed equitably. Early numbers suggest the process is flawed, or at best, the basic reporting system needs work. Nearly a month after immunizations started in Tennessee, only 3.8% of the shots (9,349 doses) statewide have been given to Black… Read More
Dr. Manoj Jain, an infectious disease expert in Memphis, recently said of COVID-19: “Inescapable …. you will either get the disease or get the vaccine.” As we near the one-year mark of the pandemic, the early days of the vaccine rollout have been uneven. Perhaps it was naïve to expect anything different. Perhaps this, like… Read More
The phone line — 901-222-SHOT (7468) — to schedule appointments (for those without internet access) was scheduled to open this morning, but Health Department staff took appointments over the weekend, according to director Alisa Haushalter. The online signup opened last Friday.
When the Health Department resumes vaccinations Tuesday, Jan. 12, it will be set up to administer 80-100 shots an hour in a drive-thru process at the Pipkin Building, 940 Early Maxwell Blvd. The clinic will run Tuesdays-Saturdays from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. through the end of January, vaccinating only people who registered through the SignUpGenius app… Read More
Hamilton Eye Institute at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center received a $300,000 challenge grant from Research to Prevent Blindness for studies in the university’s department of ophthalmology. The money will be distributed over four years. UTHSC will match the grant.
Scientists in Memphis are in a race against time to build a broader base for identifying coronavirus mutations, starting with U.K. strain B117, which has locked down the United Kingdom.As of Friday, Jan. 8, 50 cases had been reported in the United States, including a possible case in Chattanooga. Identifying the mutation requires “fingerprinting” or… Read More
Suddenly last spring, everyday heroes in scrubs were getting applause and special-delivery dinners at work. The cheers and chanting ended after eight weeks or so, and the health care workers forged ahead as hospital corridors turned into holding bays. But they earned our collective gratitude. In a year defined by a pandemic quarantine, we created… Read More
As the COVID-19 vaccine supply in Shelby County remains low, discussions continue on distribution to all communities countywide when the allotment improves. To reach state and federal targets of vaccinating 70% of the population this year, equitable access of the vaccine to all parts of the county is critical, particularly in majority-Black neighborhoods of Memphis… Read More
