The CDC will send funding and ‘support’ to South Carolina to accelerate the launch of the vaccine in an effort to prevent the South African variant from installing itself there.
- CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said the agency is offering ‘support’ to states where variants are threatening to spread
- South Carolina to obtain funding and ‘resources to increase testing, surveillance and vaccination’
- The South African “supercovid” was detected there on Thursday in two disconnected people with no travel history, suggesting that it is already spreading silently
South Carolina will receive extra vaccination support from the CDC in an effort to accelerate implementation and prevent the spread of the South African variant of the coronavirus detected there on Thursday, said the agency’s director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
She said the CDC is ‘supporting’ states that detect supercovid variants, but only mentioned South Carolina by name.
Two people in South Carolina have the South African variant B1351 of the coronavirus, which is about 50% more infectious and makes vaccines less effective.
Neither traveled recently, they live in different regions of the state and have no ties, suggesting that the variant is spreading silently in South Carolina.
Vaccines still offer some protection against the ‘supercovered’ variant, and the more people have some immunity, the less likely they are to become dominant.
Less than six percent of South Carolina residents received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine – about 360,000 people – which is below the national rate of 6.8 percent of the population vaccinated with one or more doses.
CDC and South Carolina health officials did not immediately respond to a request for details on the amount of funding or the nature of the funds being sent to the state.
But Dr. Walensky said that even with the agency increasing surveillance for variants and channeling assistance to states that have them, it may be too late.
“When someone has symptoms, gets tested, has a positive result and we get the sequencing, our opportunity for case control and contact tracking is gone,” she said.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said on Friday that the agency is sending funds and ‘resources’ to accelerate the COVID-19 vaccination effort in South Carolina, in light of the South African variant discovered there.
“The CDC is offering support to states that have identified these surveillance … we are reaching out to help with vaccination … with resources to increase testing, increase surveillance and increase resources for vaccination and funding.”
South Carolina vaccinated 360,000 people on Thursday, compared to 210,000 the previous Thursday, according to Bloomberg’s tracking.
The state is also one of the country’s worst hotspots, according to data from the White House.
Previously “hidden” reports reveal that South Carolina is seeing more than 750 new cases per 100,000 people each week.
It is not clear whether this high rate of new infections is linked to the new variant.
The South African variant of the coronavirus detected there contains mutations in its spike protein that makes it better at infecting human cells.
Its mutations also make it more difficult for vaccine-triggered antibodies to “see” the virus and block its ability to block spike protein activity.
Previously “hidden” reports reveal that South Carolina is seeing more than 750 new cases per 100,000 people each week
Moderna’s vaccine is still ‘protective’ against it, but its antibodies are six times less potent when confronted with the South African variant.
This happens at a time when FEMA helps the state’s vaccination efforts.
The United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) asked the Pentagon to help administer the COVID-19 vaccine to meet Joe Biden’s goal of 1.5 million injections per day.
The Pentagon spokesman announced on Thursday that he had received a request to help get shot in the arms of Americans in different parts of the country.
‘The Department of Defense has received a request from FEMA for assistance in administering the COVID-19 vaccine in various locations across the country.
“The Department is evaluating the request and what support it can offer,” said Pentagon press secretary John Kirby in a statement.
Kirby said that “given the importance of the request, it will be reviewed urgently, but carefully” to determine what military means can be made available safely to help launch the vaccine.
‘Like [Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin] said, DOD is committed to doing its utmost to help the whole government’s efforts against COVID-19, ”he added.
