MEMPHIS, Tenn — In tonight’s Ransom Note: the shot shortage.
Chaos surrounding vaccines in Shelby County led to more chaos today.
When the Health Department realized it had dozens of doses that might spoil, an emergency email went out to teachers:
“Get to the school building today and get your shot.”
Then Shelby County Superintendent Dr. Joris Ray posted this tweet of him getting his shot today.
It wasn’t long before we heard from teachers, asking us what happened to this “the captain is the last to leave the ship” that Dr. Ray told me and Otis Sanford yesterday on Local 24 This Week.
The Superintendent told me today that statement still holds true.
That he was not first in line, only got his shot after things slowed down, and every teacher who could show up in a near blizzard was able to.
This is where the benefit of the doubt comes in, Dr. Ray advocates for his teachers every chance he gets.
And he’s not the first to get a vaccine ahead of his turn due to concerns about wasting vaccines at the Pipkin Building.
But this is happening way too often.
I only hope it gets better now that the city is in charge.
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