New First And Second Dose Pfizer Vaccine Appointments Now Available Through Hamilton County Health Department
Published March 3, 2021
Hamilton County, TN – The Hamilton County Health Department has added 890 new first dose and 4,068 new second dose appointment opportunities into their system for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
New appointments for people in the eligible phases (1a1, 1a2, 1B and adults ages 65 and up) can make their appointments on their website or by calling the Health Department’s Appointment Call Center Monday through Friday from 8AM – 4PM:
• First dose appointments: 423-209-5398
• Second dose appointments: 423-209-5399
• General COVID-19 questions: 423-209-8383 (M-F, 8AM – 4PM)
The Health Department warns that due to high volume of calls, people may experience a busy signal and need to hang up and call back.
The current dates and locations for the new appointments are as follows:
• March 6-8 and March 10-12 at the Tennessee Riverpark.
• March 3rd at the CARTA Bus Barn.
Hamilton County’s vaccine distribution is guided by phases according to the State of Tennessee’s Vaccination Plan. Only those eligible in the current phases will be able to make an appointment.
In a briefing on February 25th, Mayor Jim Coppinger stated that, “We’ve been very fortunate in that the State has been very cooperative about getting us vaccine every week.”
Coppinger stated that the Health Department can administer 200 shots per hour at each vaccination site.
As of February 24th, 71,653 vaccines had been administered in Hamilton County.
Current Phases/Eligibility
Phase 1B includes:
• Childcare, pre-school, and kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers
• School Staff
• School Bus Drivers
• Other First Responders (Including Dispatch, Administrative personnel and other Emergency Communications personnel not included in Phase 1a1)
• Airfield Operations personnel employed by commercial and cargo service airports
Phase 1a2 includes:
• Other Health Care Workers with Direct Patient Exposure
• Primary care providers and staff
• Outpatient specialty providers and staff working with acute patients
• Pharmacists and staff
• Patient transport
• Outpatient therapists
• Urgent visit center providers and staff
• Environmental services
• Oral health providers
• Behavioral health providers
• Outpatient laboratory staff working with COVID-19 specimens
• Funeral/mortuary workers with direct decedent contact
Phase 1a1 includes:
• Hospital/Free-Standing Emergency Department Staff with Direct Patient Exposure and/or Exposure to Potentially-Infectious Materials
• Home health care staff
• COVID-19 mass testing site staff
• Student health providers
• Staff & Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities
• (Skilled Nursing Facilities, Assisted Living Centers, Homes for the Aged, DIDD Residential Centers, Group Homes)
• First Responders with Direct Public Exposure including Jailers
• Individuals >18yrs who cannot live independently due to serious chronic medical condition or intellectual or developmental disabilities
Age Group Bracket:
• 65 years or older, must be Hamilton County resident
• No specific medical conditions are required
Information to Know Prior to Appointment:
• Do not arrive more than 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment.
• Wear appropriate clothing to get a shot in upper arm
• Bring proof of Hamilton County residency (if applicable)
• Bring proof of Hamilton County employment (if applicable)
• Bring proof of age (if applicable)
• Bring COVID-19 Vaccine Encounter form (if possible; form available for download on registration page)
• Be prepared to wait 20 minutes after shot
• Be prepared for the entire process to take an hour or more
Vaccination Record Card:
• When patients receive their first dose with the Health Department, they will receive a Vaccination Record Card with the following important information.
• The vaccine manufacturer (either Moderna or Pfizer)
• The date the first dose of vaccine was given
• The date the second vaccine dose is due
The Health Department states that it is important to keep the Vaccination Record Card because when making the appointment for the second dose of vaccine, it helps ensure the correct product is received and in the correct timeframe.
The current recommendation is that second dose vaccinations be received either on or after the recommended date on the Vaccination Record Card, not before.
