SOUTH CAROLINA – Governor Henry McMaster and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) announced that South Carolina will advance to Phase 1b of the state’s COVID-19 vaccination plan starting Monday, March 8th.
“Throughout South Carolina’s vaccination efforts, our priority has been – and remains – to save lives,” said McMaster. “In February, South Carolina made great progress in expanding access to vaccines as vaccine supplies increased. Our hospitals, pharmacies and healthcare providers have become more agile and efficient in obtaining vaccines. Because of these successes, we are now in a position to make the majority of Southern Carolinians eligible to receive the vaccine. “
“South Carolina remains focused on protecting the life and health of the South Carolina of COVID-19,” said Dr. Edward Simmer, director of DHEC. “With the significant increase in the supply of vaccines and progress in vaccinating people in group 1a, frontline health professionals and people aged 65 and over, we are now ready to move on to our next phase. Our state’s vaccination plan prioritizes those most at risk, while ensuring equal access to the vaccine for all South Americans aged 16 and over. “
South Carolina’s phased approach to launching the COVID-19 vaccine recognizes that the risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19 increases with age, and people with certain medical conditions and occupations are at increased risk of exposure to the virus. Because of this, South Carolina will continue to move from phase to phase, based on the level of risk, with the aim of vaccinating all South Americans who wish to receive a vaccine until the summer.
From March 8, appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine can be made by people in the following groups:
• Anyone aged 55 or over.
• People at increased risk of serious COVID-19 disease.
• People aged 16 to 64 with one or more of the following high-risk medical conditions: cancer (current, with no history of cancer), chronic kidney disease (any stage), chronic lung disease, diabetes (type 1 and type 2), Down syndrome, heart disease (congestive heart disease, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, pulmonary hypertension), HIV / AIDS, solid organ transplantation, obesity (BMI> 30), pregnancy, sickle cell disease.
• People with developmental disabilities or other serious, high-risk disabilities that make it more likely that they will develop a serious, life-threatening illness or death from COVID-19 infection.
• Frontline workers with increased occupational risk.
• Frontline workers with increased occupational risk are people who: Must be in person at their workplace and do work that puts them at greater risk of exposure due to their frequent (less than six feet) and continuous (more than 15 minutes) contact with other people in the workplace.
Examples of frontline workers include, but are not limited to, school and daycare workers, manufacturing workers, grocery workers, police, etc.
• Individuals most at risk in environments where people live and work in close contact.
• Residents and workers in home group settings for the physically or mentally disabled or those with behavioral or substance abuse conditions.
• Workers and residents in shelters for the homeless.
• Workers and residents in community training houses.
• State and local correctional facility staff with direct contact with inmates.
• Inmates from correctional and immigration detention centers.
• Migrant agricultural workers who live in shared housing or rely on shared transport.
• All workers in health and community health settings who have direct and routine contact with the patient and were not vaccinated in Phase 1a.
“The arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines, including the recent approval of the new Janssen one-shot vaccine, has given us renewed hope for a return to normality and a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Simmer. “At the same time, we know that our fight is not over yet. Until enough of us are vaccinated, we should all continue to wear masks, stand two meters away from others and avoid crowds, even after we have received the vaccine. In addition, the test can help to reduce the spread of the disease and identify the presence of variants as early as possible. “
Public health officials estimate that it will take 70 to 80 percent of the population to be vaccinated to achieve collective immunity and discontinue COVID-19.
Based on current levels of vaccine supply, SCDHEC anticipates that Phase 1c will begin approximately on April 12, 2021. The phase will include:
• People aged 45 or over.
• Essential workers.
• This group includes those who work in essential careers, as defined by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), who are not included in Phase 1b because they do not have close and frequent contact with other people in the work environment (examples may include construction workers, delivery drivers, utility workers, etc. who do not have frequent, close and continuous contact with other people).
Phase 2 will begin on or about May 3, 2021 and will include:
• All Southern Carolinians aged 16 and over.
Southern Carolinians are encouraged to get vaccinated according to the state plan, and not to anticipate the rest.
“We are asking South Carolina residents to consider others, and the fact that this plan is based on risk to prevent serious illness and death,” said Simmer. “You are encouraged not to skip the line and put your loved ones, friends or neighbors at risk by doing this.”
Online appointments can be booked at scdhec.gov/covid19/covid-19-vaccine/covid-19-vaccine-appointments or you can call SCDHEC’s COVID-19 Vaccine Information Line at 1-866-365-8110 to get help.
When seeking vaccine services, people included in Phase 1b or 1c may show eligibility, showing an identification that includes their date of birth, verifying that they meet the criteria for a frontline or essential worker, or verifying that they have an eligibility for high risk medical condition.