COLUMBIA, S.C. — This week, South Carolina's health agency, DHEC, released new numbers for the state that continue to show an increase to an already high number of flu cases and deaths.
A week after Thanksgiving, South Carolina is seeing another bump in flu cases. According to Jonathan Knoche, a medical consultant at DHEC, in the past week, there has been over 3,000 confirmed cases, bringing the season total close to 33,000.
"The levels are still very very high, and we could see another increase in the numbers going up, the tide going up, as people are traveling. sometimes we have one peak in the season sometimes we have two or three."
He adds that RSV, which caused some concern in previous months, is slowing declining in cases. Knoche says the single best way to prevent a serious, or even deadly case, is to get a flu shot. With 80% of South Carolinians unvaccinated, he worries about another uptick when holiday travel kicks in.
One organization trying to help with this year's increase is MyPharmacy in Lexington. They are offering drive through clinics with testing and vaccines. Jonae Fredricks is the general manager of a site on Garner's Ferry Road. She says across 8 locations in the midlands and one by Myrtle Beach, they see 300-400 patients a day.
James Chap got his shot there on Friday. At 80, he understands the risk of being unvaccinated.
"I'd rather be on the safe side then on the wrong side. I don't like being sick now, another thing I don't like is those needles, but you gotta do what you gotta do."
Knoche notes getting a flu shot now would get you protected by the time Christmas rolls around.