Research on thousands of families shows that the desire to get a vaccine has increased in recent weeks, including in South Carolina. But the percentage of people who say they “definitely won’t get the vaccine” in South Carolina remains almost unchanged.
The most recent week’s survey, which the Census Bureau conducted between March 3 and 15 in partnership with other federal agencies, included about 78,000 respondents across the country and 1,100 in South Carolina.
Since January, the percentage of Southern Carolinians telling researchers that they do not plan to be vaccinated has increased from 32% to 29%.
But those who said they were totally against vaccination remained the same, at 14 percent in the most recent week.
Dr. Brannon Traxler, interim director of public health for the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, said she would emphasize to those who remain hesitant that vaccines are the state’s way back to normal.
“I would like to emphasize to them that achieving collective immunity by vaccinating a significant part of the community is the answer to delay the spread of COVID-19 and to be able to return safely to activities and more normal life,” she said. “We all want that.”
The possible side effects were the main reason people cited for their hesitation. These side effects include nausea, fever, headaches, pain and chills. Serious allergic reactions have occurred in a small number of cases. After millions of shots were fired, no deaths were attributed to the COVID-19 vaccines.
Other common reasons for not wanting an injection were a lack of confidence in vaccines or the government and a desire to “wait and see if it is safe”.
On a positive note, the percentage of blacks in South Carolina responding to the census survey that they would not receive a vaccine has dropped dramatically, from 38% saying they probably or definitely would not receive it in January to 23% at the end of March.
As of March 31, about a third of South Carolina residents had received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to DHEC. Eighteen percent are fully vaccinated.
State figures
New cases reported: 683 confirmed, 409 probable.
Total cases in SC: 466,318 confirmed, 87,713 probable.
Positive percentage: 3.9 percent.
New deaths reported: 7 confirmed, 3 probable.
Total deaths in SC: 8,092 confirmed, 1,087 probable.
Percentage of ICU beds occupied: 71 percent.
How does SC rank in vaccines administered by 100,000 people?
42nd on April 1st, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most affected areas
In the total number of new confirmed cases, Greenville County (123), York County (51) and Spartanburg County (49) saw the highest totals.
What about the tri-county?
Charleston County had 48 new cases on April 2, while Berkeley had 23 and Dorchester had 20.
Deaths
Two of the new confirmed deaths reported were from people between the ages of 35 and 64 and five were patients aged 65 and over.
Hospitalizations
Of the 470 patients with COVID-19 hospitalized on April 2, 116 were in the ICU and 48 were using ventilators.
What do the experts say?
The CDC issued new travel recommendations for people who were fully vaccinated on April 2. The federal health authority said people who received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine can safely travel abroad.
The CDC also recommends that travelers take the COVID-19 test three to five days after their trip. The agency said “you DO NOT need to self-quarantine after arriving in the United States”.
To reach Mary Katherine Wildeman at 843-607-4312. Follow her on Twitter @mkwildeman.