GREENVILLE, S.C. — Vice-President Kamala Harris will be in South Carolina next week, her first formal visit to the Palmetto State since taking office earlier this year.
The White House confirms Harris will be in Greenville on Monday, June 14 to kick off a vaccination tour across the South. Specific details of where she will be in the city were not immediately available.
The news was first reported by USA TODAY, who said Harris will be dropping in on clinics, churches, and colleges as part of the tour to encourage those still unvaccinated to get their shot.
The White House said the following day, EPA Administrator Michael Regan will be in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina.
President Joe Biden has set a goal of having 70% of U.S. adults with at least one shot by July 4. Right now, that number currently stands at about 64%.
But in some areas of the country, including South Carolina, that number is lower. Just under 46% of people over the age of 12 have gotten at least one shot, according to the latest numbers from South Carolina's health agency, SCDHEC.
The Pfizer vaccine is available for anyone 12 years or older, while the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are for anyone 18 and up. Moderna is asking the FDA to approve their vaccine soon for 12 and older, and both Pfizer and Moderna are in the early stages of seeing if the vaccine can be OK'd for children under 12.
Harris is urging people to go to vaccines.gov text your ZIP code to 438829 to find a free COVID-19 vaccine.
Harris last spent significant time in the Palmetto State in 2019 as she was seeking the Democratic nomination for President, but she withdrew in December of 2019 two months before the South Carolina primary. Joe Biden ultimately won the state and the nomination, then picked Harris as his running mate before the Democratic convention.