Back to “normal” could take a year, if nothing else changes in Shelby County. COVID-19 vaccines are just now beginning to move us forward through the dark tunnel of death, illness, and disruption that we’ve been trapped in for 10 months. While there’s hope — make no mistake — it’s a long, long tunnel. … 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
Dr. Scott Strome, executive dean of the College of Medicine at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, said he thinks his state did “a little bit better than terrible” in vaccinating its first wave of healthcare workers. That’s in part because of a well-planned effort that included tapping a volunteer workforce of… 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
The United States has given more than 4.6 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine so far and Tennessee is one of the states doing the best. But there are issues. “The most shots we can get into arms quickly, the better,” said Dr. Scott Strome, Executive Dean at the UTHSC College of Medicine.
A day after seniors swarmed two sites in Shelby County to get vaccines specifically set aside for first responders, the state Department of Health upgraded its priority list on Wednesday, Dec. 30.
COVID-19 vaccinations will begin at Memphis’ University of Tennessee Health Science Center Saturday, the university announced Friday. Several hospitals in Memphis began vaccinating frontline workers earlier this week. Scott Strome, executive dean of the UTHSC College of Medicine, said the college is “delighted.” Strome credited Kennard Brown, the executive vice chancellor and chief operations officer,… Read More
