KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Are more people getting COVID shots because of the omicron variant?
At the moment -- it's uncertain if that's the case in Tennessee, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported another 2 million people received vaccines after news of the omicron variant's arrival in the U.S.
Walgreens reported high demand for vaccines and testing, and some East Tennessee drug stores did as well.
“Definitely in the last 10 days, we have seen an uptick in the number of patients either getting second doses,” said Tyler Doughtery.
Doughtery works at Clinton Drug Store and is an assistant professor at South College School of Pharmacy. He said he's seen more patients considering getting a booster or third dose.
Although vaccines numbers are up across the United States, Tennessee’s rates are still falling short compared to the rest of the U.S. and world and are slowly climbing.
49.9% of Tennesseans are fully vaccinated, and more than 56% have had at least one dose. Compare that to the CDC's vaccination data, which shows 60% of the entire U.S. is fully vaccinated and at least 71.1% have had one dose. Across the U.S., 23.6% of people have also had a booster dose.
State health officials said there is still a lot to learn about the omicron variant, and U.S. health officials said early observations about its severity are encouraging despite the general concern of it spreading widely. In the meantime, doctors are encouraging everyone to follow the CDC’s guidelines.