Tennessee vaccine summit 'indefinitely postponed' even as state COVID hospitalizations surge

Tennessee's vaccine skepticism under Republican Gov. Bill Lee continues to impact state policy.

"The Tennessee Department of Health abruptly postponed a virtual vaccine summit intended to provide training to medical professionals across the state as the agency continues to dial back its vaccination outreach despite widespread condemnation," the Nashville Tennesseanreports.

The Department of Health website for the Tennessee Immunization Summit says the event has been "POSTPONED until further notice."

"The summit was intended to be a repeat of a virtual conference launched last year that featured local and national experts on immunizations and vaccine advocacy," the newspaper writes. "More than 350 medical professionals attended the event, and 'the reviews were overwhelmingly positive,' according to a description of the event previously posted on the health department's website but has since been removed."

The move to shut down the summit came even after Tennessee coronavirus hospitalizations rose 45.7% from last week.

Tennessee has been making multiple moves to end its promotion of vaccinations in the state, and last week the Tennessee Department of Health shut down all efforts to promote vaccinations to adolescents, while also firing Tennessee's top vaccine official for what she claimed were her efforts to promote COVID-19 vaccinations for teenagers.

On Friday, Republican former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a doctor, blasted Tennessee's "deadly" approach to the pandemic.