CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) – Health officials in South Carolina say the demand for the vaccine significantly outweighs the supply, as people struggle to get the vaccine.
In addition, there are concerns that some scheduling systems may be excluding people who are actually eligible.
As of Monday, an additional 2.7 million people in the state can schedule consultations for the COVID-19 vaccine as the state moves to phase 1B. Phase 1B includes people aged 55 and over, people with certain underlying health conditions who are 16 or older, and frontline employees at increased risk of exposure to the virus at work.
Kathleen Cranford, a resident of Summerville, is eligible to receive the vaccine based on her health conditions. She says she was unable to find an appointment in her area.
“I just looked at all the scheduling possibilities that exist,” said Cranford. “You can schedule online for MUSC, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and I will continue to receive the message, there are no appointments available within a 25 mile radius.”
She says one of her friends got an appointment in Orangeburg, which is about an hour away.
Cranford says she stays at home mainly to avoid getting sick, as she is at a greater risk of contracting serious illnesses due to COVID-19.
“I don’t want to get sick and I don’t want to spread that to other people either,” said Cranford. “Actually, I was supposed to have my wedding in January and we had to cancel it because of COVID.”
Lowcountry resident Gregg Keating said he tried to schedule his vaccination appointment at 12:01 pm on Monday, but failed.
Keating, a former fighter and current trainer, says he is 57 years old with a benign brain tumor. He will receive some radiation treatment in mid-March, so he would like to have the vaccine before that.
“This will make me more vulnerable, I want armor and that’s what I’m looking for with a vaccine.” Keating said. “I am the kind of very robust guy and I can handle it, but am I scared? No, but I like methodologies and I like pertinent things put into practice. “
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The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control says it is working with vaccine providers to ensure that its appointment scheduling tools do not disqualify people who are eligible to receive the COVID vaccine.
DHEC responded to a request for comment after some viewers claimed they were unable to register for an interview because certain categories of people included in the state’s Phase 1B plan were not listed as an option in the application process.
A spokesman said on Monday morning that the agency issued Phase 1B guidance directly to all providers last week, but said it would issue “additional information” on Monday “to ensure its naming tools do not. are using throttling parameters “.
“We have been working to help make it clear that part of Phase 1B is based on the risk of the job, not the type of job,” said the spokesman.
One of the complaints that prompted the request for comment alleged that there was no option for people aged 16 and over with high-risk medical conditions, thus preventing these people or their parents from signing up for a vaccine appointment.
But in announcing the start of Phase 1B last week, Governor Henry McMaster and DHEC director Dr. Edward Simmer said the state would have the “honor system” for Phase 1B.
“If you are 55 or older, you can simply show an identity that shows your age,” said Simmer. “For others, this will be self-annotation. We will trust that Southern Carolinians will tell the truth and say: ‘Yes, I have this medical condition’ or ‘Yes, I am in a job situation that meets the criteria’ ”.
This can hamper the registration process for some vaccine providers. During Phase 1A, there were stricter rules about who was eligible based on the type of job they had or their age. These guidelines would help sites to quickly dismiss people they deemed “not yet qualified”.
But, in determining eligibility by allowing certain underlying conditions, the state will not require people to provide documentation to provide evidence at the time of vaccination, some appointment scheduling sites may require adjustments to allow these appointments to be made.
During last week’s press conference, Simmer said he expects Phase 1C to open in April, but it is unclear who will be included in that phase, as many of those who were originally listed in Phase 1C are now on the expanded plan of the Phase 1B.
DHEC says that as doses of the vaccine start to increase in the coming weeks and months, more people will be able to get their vaccines more quickly.
Once the markings are made available, you will be able to locate them with the DHEC vaccine finder tool.
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