NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Locations across Middle Tennessee witnessed new demand for COVID-19 vaccines this week, with the Delta variant spreading throughout the state.
“So for me I think, you know, they definitely collected enough data that for my piece of mind I was OK with it,” said Patience Cohee, who received her first COVID vaccine at the drive-thru site on Murfreesboro Pike.
It's one of several vaccination sites seeing more people in line for their first COVID vaccine.
“I feel a lot better,” said Christine Halliburton. She and her husband John said in light of the Delta variant they knew it was time. "The variant picking up made us really push to come in and get it," she said.
Now demand for vaccines in Nashville has shot up.
“It’s something that we’re glad is happening and we hope will continue,” Metro Public Health Department spokesperson Brian Todd said.
Vaccinations have gone up 46.5% over the past seven days compared to the average of the four previous weeks in Davidson County.
"We’ve also seen almost a four-fold number of cases of COVID over the past month so hopefully people are paying attention," Todd said.
But that doesn’t mean residents will see more mass vaccination events or locations.
“You know, with 50% of our population fully vaccinated the likelihood of needing something along those lines becomes probably less likely,” he said. "We really are in a very good place unlike where we were in January, February or March where we had to open... the Music City Center".
Todd said they’ll still continue their pop-up events and drive-thru locations like the one at the former Kmart.
“Whatever that reason is and whatever gets people in the door to get them vaccinated, the higher percentage we have of those vaccinated the closer we’re going to be to the end of this pandemic," said Todd.
To find a vaccination site near you, visit Covid19.Nashville.gov or Vaccines.gov. Todd also said you can find the vaccine at most local pharmacies.
You can also track federal COVID-19 data county by county by going here.
