McCORMICK, SC – Despite all concerns about the difficulty of vaccinating rural South Carolina residents, McCormick County is leading the state of Palmetto in terms of its residents’ vaccination rate.
This is one of the statistics revealed in an updated version of the online vaccine panel from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Of the 8,636 residents of McCormick County aged 15 and over, 2,729 people received at least one shot, which is more than 31%. US Census statistics show that the county has a large elderly population, which constituted a large part of Phase 1A of the vaccine’s launch in the state.
Other classifications of counties in the area:
- 20. Edgefield, with a 16 percent vaccination run.
- 29. Orangeburg, with a rate of almost 15%
- 32. Bamberg, with a rate greater than 14.5 percent
- 34. Aiken, with a slightly lower rate
- 37. Barnwell, with a 14 percent rate
- 43. Allendale, with a rate of 11.7 percent
- 46. Saluda, with the state’s penultimate rate, slightly below 10 percent
In Saluda County, Emergency Management Director Josh Morton pointed to the lack of a county hospital. Saluda County is one of eight counties in the entire state with none.
In the early days of launch, only the Pfizer vaccine was available. Traditionally, only hospitals had the refrigerated storage needed to distribute it.
“It was a bigger challenge for us to achieve that,” he said.
Emmanuel Family Clinic Office Manager Debra Cleveland said that resistance to the vaccine remains.
“I think a lot of people are still afraid to make it. They are not sure about the side effects of the injection, or the availability yet, ”she said.
Cleveland said his office administered 300 injections last week, but about 90 percent of patients were from different counties.
Patricia Johnson had a chance at the Cleveland clinic on Thursday and pointed out the misinformation on social media.
“On social media, you see a lot of things there. I saw something where, after taking the picture, this is how you’re going to end up, ”she said, seeming to refer to a meme.
Morton said that despite the statistics, Saluda County will improve from its slow start as the vaccination process continues to pick up speed.
Lack of access to medical care is a problem in some parts of the region.
“There is no doctor’s office in the north,” said Julius Jones, mayor of the city of North, in Orangeburg County.
Jones said he was excited about the benefits that the new single-dose vaccine could have in cities like North, where those without transportation would have to pay for just one trip to the vaccination site, instead of two.
“It’s a trip, and the person wouldn’t have to worry about going back to the clinic or the doctors to get the second injection,” said Jones.
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From WRDW / WAGT, WIS and WMBF reports