Tennessee Department of Health has completed a process review of state COVID-19 vaccine administration to minimize possible waste and support providers receiving greater supplies of vaccine ahead of opening eligibility to Phase 1c.

The TDH Vaccine Preventable Diseases and Immunization Program leads the state's vaccination activities for COVID-19 and other vaccine-preventable diseases. The program has standard procedures in place to ensure safe and efficient management of all vaccine handling and administration activities.

TDH checks and balances in place-Providing technical assistance and monitoring in collaboration with state, local and private partners-Routine, detailed, quality assurance visits with vaccine providers required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tennessee county health departments receive these visits every 24 months. Private providers receive these visits every 12 months.-Health care providers and organizations currently receiving COVID-19 vaccines receive a call from the TDH regional immunization representative to review a checklist of requirements. Any flags prompt a site visit. -All new providers onboard to receive COVID-19 vaccines receive information to help start their operation, and are contacted by the TDH vaccine storage and handling team to review expectations for appropriate handling and administration of these vaccines. -TDH is engaging a health care quality assurance company to provide ongoing checks with COVID-19 vaccine providers.

As TDH reported last week, TDH has embedded personnel at the Shelby County Health Department for technical assistance, monitoring of their pharmacy operation and improvement in efficiency of their COVID-19 vaccination sites, following reports of COVID-19 vaccine wastage.

The TDH immunization program is working with the state's five other metropolitan health departments to perform quality assurance visits this week, and will perform quality assurance checks with all 89 rural health departments over the next two-three weeks.

More than 200,000 vaccination appointments available in Tennessee continues to see increased supplies of COVID-19 vaccine, including allocations of the Janssen/Johnson and Johnson vaccine given emergency use authorization by the FDA Feb. 27.