COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina will be one of the states in which CVS Health will begin to administer COVID-19 vaccines to eligible populations starting next week.
According to CVS, South Carolina is among an initial 11 state rollout. CVS will begin administering vaccines to those eligible on February 11. There will be 17 CVS Pharmacy locations in the state.
Appointments will be available as early as February 9.
Up until now, CVS has been involved in the vaccinations at nursing homes and long-term care facilities but hasn't been vaccinating people at the pharmacies themselves. Their announcement Tuesday comes as the Biden administration announced plans to speed up vaccine rollout specifically to pharmacies such as CVS.
CVS says there will be approximately 15,300 total doses available. Participating CVS Pharmacies are in communities throughout South Carolina, including Aiken, Anderson, Clemson, Columbia, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, Summerville, and Sumter. As more vaccines become available CVS will expand appointments and locations.
“One of our greatest strengths as a company is our presence in communities across the country, which makes us an ideal partner for administering vaccines in a safe, convenient, and familiar manner,” said Karen S. Lynch, President and Chief Executive Officer, CVS Health. “We continue to be grateful for the commitment of our frontline colleagues whose dedication has allowed us to deliver care and peace of mind throughout the pandemic.”
The vaccines offered by CVS will only be made available for those who meet criteria for the current phase or rollout.
Patients must register in advance at CVS.com or through the CVS Pharmacy app, and people without online access can contact CVS customer service: (800) 746-7287. Walk-in vaccinations without an appointment will not be provided.
The initial rollout includes 335 CVS Pharmacy locations across California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, and Virginia, according to CVS.
CVS hopes to have the capacity to administer 20 to 25 million shots per month once there is enough supply to have vaccines at locations throughout the country.
CVS also continues to vaccine residents and staff at long-term facilities in the state. They hope to complete this process by mid-February with second doses underway by then.