| Greenville News
South Carolina state health officials estimate that the first doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine could arrive around December 14-16 if approved by the FDA on December 10.
Dosages of the Moderna vaccine may arrive the following week, pending FDA approval, officials said on Thursday during an update to the state’s vaccination plans. Doses in the first few weeks of availability are expected to be “very limited”, but authorities expect new weekly shipments and availability is expected to increase as soon as they start arriving.
Stephen White, the state’s director of immunizations, said an estimate of how many doses will initially arrive in South Carolina cannot be released at the moment because the number changes frequently. However, there will be more transparency when the doses arrive.
In a previous update, two weeks ago, authorities noted that the vaccine would be free.
An update on the storage and distribution plan
The state chose five storage locations – one from each of the four regions and a centralized location – that can safely store doses, have ultra-cold storage capacity and distribute to individual suppliers. The locations were strategically chosen to ensure that distribution was fair across the state. The locations are not being made public for security reasons.
Original plan: South Carolina COVID vaccine distribution plan revealed, public availability a few months ago
Providers will not be required to have deep-frozen storage because vaccines can live in refrigerated temperatures for short periods of time. The Pfizer vaccine lasts up to five days and Moderna can survive up to 30 days.
As of Thursday, nearly 200 providers have successfully registered with the state to provide vaccines and they will be activated by the state as soon as doses become available. In more rural areas, the state is working to identify non-traditional locations if traditional suppliers are scarce in the area.
South Carolina will use the Vaccine Administration Management System, a federal system to monitor vaccine administration, like many other states. Once administered, vaccine recipients will receive second dose reminder cards, which will come with vaccine shipments.
An update on the phased approach
Phase 1a of the state’s vaccination plan will cover health professionals and long-term care facilities. Those on the frontline of healthcare must be protected so that they can protect others, said Dr. Linda Bell, the state’s leading epidemiologist. Details of other phases are still being worked out, but phase 1b will likely include those that are described as being at high risk because of age, where they work or because of existing medical conditions.
Bell noted that these transitions will be implemented and there will be no sudden interruptions between the phases.
It was so: A Greenville man signed up to study the COVID-19 vaccine from Moderna
“Everyone who wants to get a vaccine in South Carolina will eventually be vaccinated,” said Bell. “Very high coverage is our ultimate goal.”
Dr. Jane Kelly, the state’s assistant epidemiologist, said there would not be enough doses in the first week to cover the entire phase 1a, but reiterated that more shipments would come weekly.
The Department of Health and Environmental Control will provide guidelines on who should receive the vaccine first, but some of these decisions will be left to localities.
“If you have an older nurse with diabetes versus a younger respiratory therapist without medical problems, there may be a decision at the local level to vaccinate the most vulnerable person,” said Kelly.
Phase 1b can begin in January or February, but the timelines depend on many factors, including FDA approval in the coming weeks.
Interesting reading: An old animal off the coast of SC holds a key element for testing the coronavirus vaccine
Continue to use preventive measures
DHEC officials reiterated that, although vaccine development is encouraging, people should be vigilant with preventive measures, such as wearing masks and social detachment. They warned that even those who received the vaccine must adopt this care until high coverage is achieved in the community.
Kelly said that although these two vaccines are 90-95% effective, it still means that the vaccine will not mimic the immune system for 5-10% of people.
“They will have received the vaccine, but they will not be immune,” said Kelly. “And they will not know what we will not know who these people are.”
The authorities also encouraged people to get their flu shots to ensure that an increase in flu cases would not aggravate the situation.
DHEC reported 1,754 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 21 new deaths on Thursday. Greenville County, the most populous of the state’s 46 counties, leads the state with the highest number of confirmed cases every day since November 6.