NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee officials say some of the state's prisoners will receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The announcement comes two days after The Associated Press reported that an advisory panel concluded inoculating inmates could be a “PR nightmare."
However, the Department of Correction will only provide the COVID-19 shot to inmates who qualify as part of other groups the state has prioritized.
Department of Correction spokesperson Dorinda Carter said Tuesday that the agency has ordered 2,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and 980 doses of the Moderna vaccine.
They will be distributed to inmates who are 65 and older or have health conditions that put them in groups already given priority status by the state.
