Gov. Lee Says He’ll Rely On Local Doctors To Convince Tennesseans About COVID Vaccines

Gov. Bill Lee’s administration says it will be leaning heavily on local doctors and nurses to sell the public on new vaccinations against COVID-19.

Lee spoke to reporters Thursday afternoon, shortly after appearing at a roundtable discussion with Vice President Mike Pence in Memphis.

Lee says Tennesseans will be given the choice whether to vaccinate, but his administration will be reaching out to medical groups to overcome any skepticism about the safety of vaccines.

“We do know that folks trust their own health care providers, their own doctors. We know that they trust the hospitals in their community, whether it’s a rural community, a city center.”

FedEx will be partnering with the state to distribute vaccines. State officials hope to begin vaccinating people in the next few weeks.

Frontline medical workers, first responders and the staff and residents of long-term care facilities will be the first to get inoculated. The general public can expect to get the vaccine sometime next year.

WKNO’s Katie Riordan contributed to this report.