The Knox County Health Department is offering scheduled appointments this week for Knox County residents, who are 75 and older, to receive the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Walk-up appointments at KCHD’s main location (140 Dameron Ave.) will be scheduled for Tuesday (1/5), Thursday (1/7) and Friday (1/8) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those who qualify should call the KCHD Public Information Line at 865-215-5555 to schedule an appointment. Individuals should bring a valid copy of their identification to their appointment.
The Public Information Line is experiencing a high volume of calls, so it may take time to get through. Because of the high demand, appointments are expected to fill up quickly. Additional vaccination opportunities for next week will be announced as more vaccine is received.
KCHD will be deploying multiple strategies to help provide vaccinations to our community, including large clinics and appointments. It’s important to remember that KCHD is just one of many providers who will eventually help make vaccine more widely available in the community. Much like COVID-19 testing at the beginning of the pandemic, it took time for it to be widely available. The best and most effective testing and vaccination strategy involves multiple distribution points in the market. Info here.