Fired Tennessee vaccine leader rebuts claims point-by-point

Days after she was fired under pressure from Republican legislators, Tennessee’s former vaccinations director has issued a point-by-point rebuttal to a letter that recommended her removal

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Days after she was fired under pressure from Republican legislators, Tennessee’s former vaccinations director has issued a point-by-point rebuttal to a letter recommending her removal and to other claims by state officials about the program she ran that offers shots for children. The July 9 letter from the state's chief medical officer said Michelle Fiscus should be removed due to complaints about her leadership approach and her handling of a letter explaining vaccination rights of minors for COVID-19 shots, an effort that had GOP lawmakers fuming. Fiscus has accused Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey of terminating her “to appease a handful of outraged and uninformed legislators.” In her rebuttal, Fiscus described Chief Medical Officer Tim Jones as a “trusted friend and colleague," who had warned her in late June that her employment was threatened. She said Jones and her supervisor, state epidemiologist John Dunn, voiced continued support for her despite the political pressure.