FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 1, 2021
COLOMBIA, SC – A new national report shows that South Carolina now ranks fifth in the country in how fast the state is putting doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in people’s arms. The Becker’s Hospital Review, a national health information forum, released its daily report “States ranked by percentage of COVID-19 vaccines administered” earlier today and South Carolina is the fifth state to use almost 78 percent of total vaccine doses received in the state, this represents a 10% increase over last week.
When Becker compiled its February 1 report, it used accurate information at the time of January 31 that South Carolina had received a total of 560,150 doses of the vaccine and administered 439,541 vaccines: a 78% utilization rate.
“Our ultimate goal is to save lives,“ said Marshall Taylor, DHEC Acting Director. “Although the state’s current vaccine supply is less than demand, DHEC, in collaboration with the governor and our state partners, continues to work to meet our state’s shared vaccination goal – to get the vaccine in the arms of Carolina of the South in a fast, safe, equitable and ethical way. “
Becker’s report uses data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide a uniform comparison of vaccine use across states. Shows the rate at which doses are used based on the total number of injections given in relation to the total doses received.
In mid-January, the CDC indicated that South Carolina was among one of the slowest states for using the vaccine based on a rate of distributed doses and injections administered per 100,000, but that report did not include the more than 200,000 doses that South Carolina has dedicated a global amount to a statewide effort to vaccinate all residents and employees of long-term care facilities in the state. The way in which Becker’s report shows usage rate is a much better way to report this information, especially when making comparisons between states.
“A week ago, South Carolina was also ranked fifth in the country in terms of vaccine use and had a 68% utilization rate. The rate of vaccine use in our state continues to improve weekly with the help of our vaccine suppliers, ” Taylor said. “Safe and effective vaccines and following public health guidelines are how we won the fight against COVID-19.”
Until sufficient vaccine is available to everyone, Southern Carolinians must continue to take daily precautions to prevent diseases that work, as COVID-19 is still spreading across our state at high levels. Even after receiving the vaccine, you will need to wear a mask and physically distance yourself from others until a sufficient population is vaccinated against this deadly virus.
For the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccine, visit scdhec.gov/vaxfacts.
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