Tuesday, March 2, 2021
-
Update on COVID-19 vaccinations for Phase 1B
Gov. Henry McMaster announced this morning that anyone age 55 and over, frontline workers who are working in person, and those with increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination beginning March 8.
Although we welcome this expansion of eligibility for vaccination to Phase 1B, we want to share where we stand in terms of our vaccination supply. We are not receiving enough vaccine to meet the demand of Phase 1A patients who currently are eligible to be vaccinated, and we do not know yet whether we will be receiving additional vaccine to accommodate this expansion. We will share more information as it becomes available
Over the past couple of weeks, Roper St. Francis Healthcare has been pausing first dose appointments and using that allotment for second doses. We have roughly 4,300 patients on our waiting list to be scheduled for first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccine. We have first dose appointments booked out until April 15.
Patients who are in the Phase 1b category of eligibility for vaccination also will be placed on this waiting list until we receive more COVID-19 vaccine. If you know someone who would like to be placed on a waiting list, they can call (843) 727-DOCS. We appreciate your patience as we attempt to manage a significant increase in call volume as a result of the governor's announcement.
Online appointments outside of our Vaccination Drive-Thru can be made by using scdhec.gov/vaxlocator or by calling DHEC’s COVID-19 Vaccine Information Line at 1-866-365-8110.
Our allotment of first doses this week is about half of what we requested. We received 3,510 doses, and 1,170 of those are first doses and 2,340 are second doses. We had asked for 6,140 doses, and 2,340 of those would have been first doses and 3,800 second doses. We continue to ensure those who receive a first dose also are scheduled for and receive a second dose. With our Vaccination Drive-Thru at the North Charleston Coliseum, we can deliver at least 1,500 shots a day.
Since we opened our COVID-19 Vaccination Drive-Thru at the North Charleston Coliseum on Jan. 20, our staff and volunteers have delivered more than 40,000 doses of this life-saving vaccine to those in phase 1A, including those 65 and older.