A surge in syphilis and a drug shortage cause Tennessee’s public health agencies to ration penicillin shots

When Stephen Miller left his primary care practice to work in public health a little under two years ago, he was shocked by how many cases of syphilis the clinic was treating. For decades, rates of the sexually transmitted infection were low. But the Hamilton County Health Department in Chattanooga was seeing several syphilis patients a day, Miller said. A nurse who had worked at the clinic for decades told Miller the wave of patients was a radical change from the norm.

Story continues

TRENDING NOW

LATEST LOCAL NEWS