The deployment of the vaccine in December 2020 marked a turning point in the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of May 2021, 40% of the US population was fully vaccinated. But as vaccination rates have lagged over the summer, new outbreaks of COVID-19 have occurred, including Delta in the summer of 2021, and now the Omicron variant, which includes the majority of cases in the United States.
Researchers around the world have reported that Omicron is more transmissible than Delta, making breakthrough and repeat infections more likely. Early research suggests this strain may cause milder disease than Delta and the original virus, however, health officials have warned that an outbreak caused by Omicron could further increase hospitalization and death rates, especially in areas where populations are less vaccinated.
The United States as of February 25 has reached 946,481 COVID-19-related deaths and 78.8 million COVID-19 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. Currently, 64.8% of the population is fully vaccinated and 43.5% have received booster doses.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in Tennessee using data from the US Department of Health and Human Services and Covid Act Now. Counties are ranked by highest vaccination rate as of February 24, 2022. Due to reporting inconsistencies, some counties do not have vaccination data. Keep reading to see if your county ranks among the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in your state.