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South Carolina updates timeline on vaccine rollout statewide

The state has been vaccinating people for two weeks with the new coronavirus vaccine.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina health officials gave an update on the rollout of the vaccine as the state works to eventually inoculate millions of people statewide.

The state gave more detail and a broad timeline--but not specific dates--for the rollout. There is now a Phase 1a, Phase 1b, and Phase 1c, which were recommended by the CDC. 

Phase 1a, which is underway now, could wrap up in February. Once 70 percent of people in that group are vaccinating, Phase 1b will begin. Phase Two is expected to begin in Spring of 2021, with the vaccine expected to be available for anyone in late summer 2021 to early fall.

You can see further down in the article who is included in this list, as well as those general timeframes. 

The agency said as of Friday morning, 39,100 doses of the vaccine have been administered statewide. That's up nearly 5,000 from a number released a day earlier. 

RELATED: 'Be patient': DHEC says vaccine rollout takes time

DHEC admits they and other states have faced problems as they've tried to roll out the vaccination process, mainly due to the size and scope of the effort that's being undertaken. They cite limited supplies of vaccine during the phased rollout, complex logistics and adapting to changes in federal guidance.

RELATED: CVS preparing to vaccinate at long-term care facilities in SC

The agency says it's confident they can overcome these and other challenges in the weeks ahead.  

The news comes as the state continues to set records for hospitalizations and new cases. South Carolina has seen more cases in December than in any month during the pandemic, and it's also been the third deadliest month. 

[The graphic below shows the rise in hospitalizations in December]

Credit: SCDHEC

The following information is directly from DHEC about their rollout plan:

Progressing from the Initial Phase into Widespread Availability in Summer

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has provided guidance for categories of individuals to include in Phases 1a, 1b, and 1c. South Carolina is currently in Phase 1a and is vaccinating individuals in that phase per the SC COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee’s recommendations based off of the ACIP guidance. The committee is currently working to translate the national Phase 1b and Phase 1c recommendations to action in South Carolina. The following outline provides an overview of the anticipated categories for each phase. This is subject to change at any time for many reasons, such as a change in federal guidance or in the SC COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee’s recommendations for South Carolina.

Phase 1a

  • Residents and staff of long-term care facilities
  • Healthcare personnel (with initial focus on healthcare workers critical to the mission of preventing death), including:
    • Persons performing direct medical care to suspected and/or confirmed COVID-19 patients: medical house staff (i.e., interns, residents, fellows), nurses, nurse’s aides, physical therapists (PT), physicians, physician assistants, respiratory therapists (RT), speech pathologists providing swallowing assessments during a patient’s infectious period, occupational therapists, translators with direct patient contact, students (medical, nursing, PT, RT)
    • Ancillary staff directly interacting with suspected and/or confirmed COVID-19 patients: laboratory personnel handing potentially infectious specimens, phlebotomists, and radiology technicians
    • Emergency room staff in the above categories who provide direct patient care who are at high risk of exposure to undiagnosed, suspected and/or confirmed COVID-19 patients
    • Paid and volunteer medical first responders (EMS, fire department, and law enforcement personnel who provide emergency medical services as certified EMTs or paramedics) and hospital transport personnel in direct contact with suspected and/or confirmed COVID-19 patients
    • Persons providing direct medical care in correctional facilities
    • Persons providing direct medical care in dialysis and infusion centers
    • Workers in outpatient medical settings treating persons with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection
    • Workers in settings where monoclonal antibodies for COVID-19 infusions are given
    • Home health and Hospice workers
    • Public health nurses/personnel at risk for COVID-19 exposure
    • Autopsy room staff, coroners, embalmers, and funeral home staff at risk of exposure to bodily fluids
    • Dentists and dental hygienists and assistants

Phase 1b

  • Persons aged 75 years and older (with or without underlying health conditions)
  • Frontline essential workers (sectors included by ACIP include fire fighters, law enforcement officers, corrections officers, food and agricultural workers, United States Postal Service workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, public transit workers, and those who work in the educational sector—teachers, support staff, and daycare workers)

Phase 1c

  • Essential workers not included in Phase 1b (examples included by ACIP include people who work in transportation and logistics, food service, housing construction and finance, information technology, communications, energy, law, media, public safety, and public health staff who are non-frontline healthcare workers)
  • Persons aged 65-74 years (with or without underlying health conditions)
  • Persons aged 16-64 years with underlying health conditions that increase the risk for severe COVID-19 (more information to follow from the SC COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee)

As vaccine supply increases, ACIP vaccination recommendations will expand to include more groups, in Phases 2 and possibly 3. The following outline provides an overview of estimated timeframes for each phase:

  • Early Winter – Vaccinations for Phase 1a is anticipated to continue through February 2021.
  • Late Winter to early Spring – Based on current CDC guidance, the state will move into Phase 1b once 70 percent of South Carolinians identified in Phase 1a have been vaccinated.
  • Spring to Summer – Phase 2 is anticipated to begin in Spring 2021, with the vaccines expected to become available for the general public during the summer and fall of 2021.

Understanding the Next Steps in the Phased Vaccine Roll Out

Everyone in our state who wants to be vaccinated will get their turn. In the meantime, we commit to keeping you informed of the progress being made in the phased approach for administering vaccines and will let you know when and where you can receive it. We call on all South Carolinians to step up by stepping back until it is their turn in the plan.

For individuals in Phase 1a who have not been contacted regarding an opportunity for vaccination yet, DHEC is working with our partners at SCHA and SCMA as well as numerous independent providers and vaccination locations to onboard them and allocate and distribute vaccines in the coming weeks. As more locations for vaccination become available, we will be contacting healthcare workers via their employers, associations, or licensing entities to provide a way for them to sign up if they wish to be contacted when it is their turn to make an appointment for vaccination. It is going to take several weeks to a couple of months to vaccinate all members of Phase 1a, so please be patient as we go through this process.

As more information becomes available, we will update our website at scdhec.gov/vaxfacts

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