KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — More than half of Knoxville police officers and firefighters are vaccinated against COVID-19, a rate in line with the county-wide average but lower than the total for city employees.
More than 63 percent of all city employees are vaccinated, city spokesperson Eric Vreeland said. County-wide, nearly 55 percent of people have had the shot, the Knox County Health Department reported.
But first responders in closest contact with the public, are less likely to have had the shot—even after the city offered $100 bonuses and 30 chances for vaccinated employees to win a thousand dollars.
More than 53 percent of Knoxville Police officers and nearly 54 percent of firefighters have had the vaccine, Vreeland said.
Overall, he said the city has spent or plans to spend more than $4.5 million on COVID-19 protections, vaccination incentives and "hero pay."
In a statement, Mayor Inyda Kincannon thanked the city employees who got vaccinated.
"Vaccination has been and still is our best way forward out of this pandemic," she said. "I encourage anyone who has not yet been vaccinated to do so — or, if you have questions, please at least talk with your doctor and make sure you have the best and latest science-based information."
Other first responder agencies, like Knox County's Rural Metro, report between 60 and 70 percent vaccination, spokesperson Jeff Bagwell said.
"We believe it’s a good thing not only for us but for our customers in the emergency system," Bagwell said. "We want our patients to feel as comfortable with us as they would anywhere else."
He said the agency has seen fewer firefighters get sick with COVID-19 since the vaccine roll-out, which also helped with staffing.
"Having as many healthy employees as we can helps us," he said.