AUGUSTA, Georgia (WRDW / WAGT) – South Carolina ranks 50th in the country in terms of vaccines distributed by the federal government and while Georgia doubled vaccine numbers in one week, the state is still behind many of its peers.
Data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that South Carolina received about 8,500 vaccines per 100,000 people.
On Wednesday, state health officials assured people that the state is getting its fair share of doses.
They said the data show that vaccines are being administered in long-term care facilities.
Since South Carolina initially applied more doses to the effort, it did not need federal remittances, unlike other states.
“We have examined this and our pro-rata allocations to South Carolina are not minor,” said state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell. “It is a kind of myth that is being perpetuated.”
Dr. Brannon Traxler, acting director of public health for the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, said: “DHEC, the CDC and Operation Warp Speed agree that South Carolina is receiving its fair and appropriate allocation.”
Meanwhile, DHEC launched a new guideline for vaccine suppliers to help accelerate the vaccine process. this includes warning against excessive vaccination orders and making sure they are getting enough of the vaccine from each bottle.
The change comes in the wake of reports that the state broke its record for a week of deaths in the week of January 9, totaling 329 confirmed and suspected deaths. The previous record was 325 deaths, counted in the week of July 25.
The Georgia Department of Public Health reports that more than half a million people in the state of Peach have received the vaccine. This represents just over half of the total vaccine doses currently available in the state.
In South Carolina, state officials say nearly a fifth of a million people have been vaccinated. This represents about 45% of the vaccine doses available in the state.
An emerging threat
Health officials in the region of the two states are still monitoring the new variant COVID-19 that was found in several countries, including the USA
There are five confirmed cases in Georgia. Although none have been detected in South Carolina yet, health officials say that does not mean it is not yet in the state.
Experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say there is currently no evidence that the new strain is more deadly. However, it can lead to more hospitalizations because it spreads more quickly.
A quick vaccine launch would be useful to prevent the development of variants so quickly, says Dr. Helmut Albrecht, of the University of South Carolina Prisma Health
Albrecht says he believes current vaccines work against previous virus mutations.
By the numbers
- COVID’s hospitalizations at CSRA are staying close to the all-time high. The trend since the beginning of December has shown a steady increase. The University Hospital reached its record on Wednesday with 149 patients admitted to COVID. For the time being, AU Health and Doctors Hospital shows a slight decline.
- Georgia faced another difficult day on Wednesday, with just under 150 deaths. More than 300 people have died in the past two days. The state also notified more than 5,700 new cases.
- Richmond County has averaged more than 150 cases in the past seven days, while Columbia County has an average of about 80 cases per day.
- South Carolina registered its second most lethal day on COVID-19 on Wednesday. Cases skyrocketed, with 1,000 more infections than Tuesday, with 3,500 new cases reported. One in four people tested on Wednesday had the disease. In Midlands, 82 percent of hospital beds were occupied and in Aiken, 87 percent were occupied.
Also in the news
- The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control says it will launch a dedicated phone line to help answer questions about vaccines. Officials say a new call center will be up and running in the coming days and will provide more details when it is ready. The agency’s care line has received about 24,000 calls a day since vaccination appointments were made available to people aged 70 and over. Surprised by the calls, the agency asked for help from members of the National Guard and the South Carolina State Guard to answer the phone.
- If you have difficulty making an appointment for a vaccine and live in the state of Palmetto, Prisma Health is trying to make it more accessible. It is now allowing people over 70 to make personal consultations, rather than just online or over the phone. This applies only to the Southern Carolinians, and the closest location to Prisma Health is in Columbia.
- On Friday, Augusta University Health will start giving out the first 100 public vaccines. He is expecting another 1,000 doses from the state this week. The hospital built a new vaccine registration platform for patients to schedule their first and second vaccines. The hospital will test everything at the Professional Building One, where 100 people have already been selected to receive the vaccine. AU Health and University Hospital has also been approved to open vaccination clinics in Aiken County.
- Augusta University President Brooks Keel will update on the university’s response to COVID-19 and the vaccine during a virtual meeting at City Hall at 3pm on Friday. Access the live stream here. Send questions by email in advance to [email protected].
- The governor of South Carolina will be in our area today. He will visit a CVS vaccination clinic and a long-term care facility in Aiken.
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