A look at how the first doses of the Coronavirus Vaccine could be distributed in SC

The FDA says South Carolina can receive as many as 300,000 doses by the end of the year

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) –As the first round of vaccines are shipped across the United States Sunday, state and local health officials are preparing for the arrival and the distribution.

The FDA says South Carolina could receive as many as 300,000 doses by the end of the year.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster reminds South Carolinians that this is not a fast process.

“I want to caution everyone that this will be a slow process all over the country. Most South Carolinians will not be vaccinated for months, so we’ve got to keep our guard up. Now is not the time to let our guard down,” Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) said in a press conference last week.

Per DHEC and Governor McMaster, here are the initial groups established that are set to receive the vaccine:

• GROUP 1A (Top Priority): Physicians, Physician’s Assistants, Nurses, Nurses Aides, Physical Therapists, Respiratory Therapists, Speech Pathologists, Medical Students, Nursing Students, Nursing Home and Long-Term Care Facility Residents and Staff, Medical Personnel in Correctional Facilities (Jails and Detention Centers), Medical Emergency First Responders (EMT’s, Paramedics, Fire, and Law Enforcement Personnel), Home Health and Hospice Workers
• GROUP 1B: Remaining First Responders (that don’t have face-to-face contact in emergency situations), Utility Workers (Water, Trash, Transportation, Waste Removal), Bus Drivers, SCDOT Workers, Agribusiness and Food Production Workers, Persons who Live and Work in “Congregate Settings” (group homes, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, jails, and detention centers), People aged 75+, and Persons with TWO or more of the following conditions:
  • Cancer (not in remission), chronic kidney disease, COPD, diabetes, disability, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, obesity, pregnancy, and sickle cell disease
• GROUP 2: Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians, Grocery Store and Food Service/Food Delivery Workers, Service Workers, Public Transit Workers, K-12 School Teachers and School Staff, Child Care Workers and Staff, School Bus Drivers, Higher Education Instructors and Staff (Four-Year Colleges, Technical Colleges, Research Universities), People aged 65+, and Persons with ONE of the following health conditions:
  • Cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD, diabetes, disability, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, obesity, pregnancy, sickle cell disease, asthma, cerebrovascular disease, corticosteroid, cystic fibrosis, hypertension, immunocompromised, liver disease, and pulmonary fibrosis
• GROUP 3: Anyone else who did not qualify in the other groups

DHEC says the pool of people eligible to receive the vaccine will widen depending on how much supply is available, but in the mean time, the public health organization encourages people to do their part in slowing down the virus’s spread.

Click here for previous coverage from our Tim Scott: https://www.abccolumbia.com/2020/12/10/prisma-health-among-healthcare-providers-preparing-to-distribute-covid-19-vaccine-upon-fda-approval/