COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina health officials gave an update Wednesday on where the state stands in terms of the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the Department of Health and Environmental Control, the vaccine is likely still weeks or months away from being available. Even though studies on the vaccine are promising, officials say it will still be quite some time before the average person can receive it.
"There is no way enough doses of a vaccine will be available at all for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays," State Epidemiologist Linda Bell said.
The exact timeline for the COVID-19 vaccine in South Carolina, as well as the doses that will be received is still unclear. Health officials with DHEC said there is a lot of excitement and hope surrounding the new vaccine.
"We are continuing to implement the preparation efforts that were outlined in our state plan," Bell said. "This includes making key preparations for the storage, distribution and administration of the vaccine for when it becomes available."
There are several phases associated with the vaccine and it's administration. The first to receive it will be healthcare workers and people who live at assisted living facilities.
"When the vaccine is available it will be limited in supply, initially meaning that not everyone who wants to be vaccinated when the first doses become available will be able to receive it first," Bell said.
Right now, the exact amount of official dosages is uncertain, but phase two of the vaccine will focus more on the general population.
Dr. Bell is still urging people to be safe, even with the vaccine on the horizon.
"For the upcoming holidays all the recommendations for prevention and protection must remain in place," Bell said. "Before we can stop the prevention measures or relax prevention measures that are in place now and rely entirely on the vaccine, we would have to get to a population coverage of very high levels. Up to 90% of the population would need to be covered before we could resume what people are asking about, those normal activities without mask and things like that. So it's going to take us quite some time."
According to DHEC, the vaccine will not cost anything. For more information on the vaccine, click here.