VUMC News and Communications

Against the noisy background of masking debates, surges, flattening curves, warp speed initiatives, conflicting messages and misinformation, political controversies, not to mention a revolutionary mRNA technology, millions of people are deciding whether to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

By VUMC News and Communications

December 21, 2020

Tennessee’s uninsured children have doubled since 2019 and 2 in 5 live with food insecurity, poll finds

In fall 2020, 9% of Tennessee children were uninsured, more than twice the level at the same time in 2019, according to a new poll conducted by the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy. Just 4% of children were uninsured in fall 2019, the poll found.

By Jake Lowary

December 17, 2020

Challenges, achievements share spotlight in 2020

The year 2020 will forever be defined by the global COVID-19 pandemic, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s response to it has been nothing short of stunning.
The entire enterprise — clinical, research and education — began preparing for the pandemic’s impact even before the first cases appeared in Tennessee in March, and that dedicated commitment and unceasing effort did not waver in the long months that followed. But while COVID-19 dominated the news during 2020, there were still many other noteworthy achievements that made headlines during the year.

By VUMC News and Communications

December 10, 2020

Vanderbilt LifeFlight sees large increase in Covid-19 transports

Vanderbilt LifeFlight has transported more than 220 Covid-19 patients since the pandemic started with the numbers rising dramatically in the last few weeks.

By Jerry Jones

December 8, 2020

Cortez named interim chair of the Department of Biochemistry; York named Impossible Foods chief science officer

David Cortez, PhD, Richard N. Armstrong Professor of Innovation in Biochemistry and professor of biochemistry, has been named interim chair in the Department of Biochemistry beginning Jan. 1, 2021.

By Marissa Shapiro

December 8, 2020

Poll shows fewer than 6 in 10 Tennessee parents report wearing masks all the time, nearly half won’t vaccinate their children for COVID-19

Many Tennessee parents are not wearing masks consistently to control community spread of COVID-19, despite recommendations from public health officials, according to new a poll conducted by the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy.