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FAQsVaccination plan Phase guidance 1a Vaccine allocations
What stage am I in?
Our priority is to save lives. Everyone will have a chance to get the vaccine. However, the number of doses is currently limited in South Carolina, as in all states. We ask everyone to be patient, know what stage you are in and follow the guidelines of our public health officials. This will allow public health officials to ensure that those most at risk and those who keep us alive are vaccinated first.
To support this effort, vaccine delivery is taking place in a phased approach. The following diagram provides an overview of the expected categories and the time for each phase. This is subject to change at any time for a variety of reasons, such as a change in federal guidance or the VAC recommendations for South Carolina.
Phase 1a (currently in progress)
Schedule an appointment
Employers are encouraged to contact local hospitals as soon as possible and no later than January 15, 2021, with a list of names and contact information for employees who wish to be vaccinated. In addition, individuals in Phase 1a who wish to be vaccinated must contact their local hospitals to request and schedule an appointment by January 15, 2021. If there is no hospital in your municipality, you must contact the hospital closest to you.
Individuals who make an appointment may need to provide credentials to verify that they are eligible to receive the vaccination according to Phase 1a. This includes providing some proof (for example, badge, card, license, personalized letter from the employer, photo of the license) of Phase 1a qualification when applying for vaccination.
Phase 1a includes:
- Health professionals
- Initial focus on frontline health professionals in high risk of exposure and mission critical to the comprehensive goal of preventing death
- Residents and employees of long-term care institutions
Health professionals include:
- Anesthesiology assistants, registered invasive cardiovascular specialists and surgery team
- Athletic Trainers
- American Sign Language (ASL) and other interpreters in healthcare facilities
- Autopsy team, coroner, embalmer and funeral staff at risk of exposure to body fluids
- Dentists and hygienists and dental technicians
- Team of food services in health establishments
- Environmental services team in healthcare facilities
- Home health workers and hospices
- Hospital transport staff
- Laboratory staff and phlebotomists
- Licensed dietitians
- Medical Assistants
- Medical rescuers (paid and voluntary): EMS; fire department and law enforcement personnel who provide emergency medical care
- Nurses, nursing professionals and nursing assistants
- Opticians and optometrists and assistants / technicians
- Persons providing medical care in correctional facilities and correctional officers
- Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians
- Physical and occupational therapists and assistants
- Doctors, including medical staff (ie interns, residents, fellows) and medical assistants
- Podiatrists
- Public health health workers who are frequently interacting with people with potential COVID-19 infection
- Radiology technicians
- Respiratory health professionals, such as respiratory therapists
- Speech therapists, assistants and speech therapists
- Students and interns in the above categories
Phase 1b (late winter 2021)
* All time estimates are subject to change due to vaccine availability, demand and provider participation.
Phase 1b includes:
- All people aged 75 years and older
- Essential frontline workers
- Sectors included by ACIP: firefighters, police, prison officers, food and agricultural workers, USPS workers, manufacturing workers, grocery workers, public transport workers and those working in the education sector – teachers, support staff and daycare workers
Phase 1c (early spring 2021)
* All time estimates are subject to change due to vaccine availability, demand and provider participation.
Phase 1c includes:
- All people aged 65 – 74 years and older
- Old people 16-64 years old with certain underlying health conditions that puts them at high risk for serious illness (CDC list)
- From others essential workers
- Examples included by ACIP: people working in transport and logistics, food service, housing construction and finance, information technology, communications, energy, law, media, public safety and public health staff who are not frontline health professionals
Phase 2 (late spring-autumn 2021)
* All time estimates are subject to change due to vaccine availability, demand and provider participation.
Phase 2 includes:
- ALL people who want to be vaccinated
- Ages recommended by ACIP
Phase 2 of vaccinations is expected to begin in late spring 2021, with vaccines expected to become available to the general public during the summer and autumn of 2021.
What should I do now?
Everyone in our state who wants to be vaccinated will have their turn. We call on all Southern Carolinians to take a step back until it is their turn to plan and continue to fight together to fight this disease, taking small steps that make a big difference:
- Using your mask
- Get tested and stay home when you’re sick
- Avoiding large meetings
- Practicing physical distance
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