DHEC, LLR announce expansion of medical professionals who can administer the COVID-19 vaccine

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– On Thursday, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control and the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (LLR) announced a joint order that expands the number of medical professionals who are able to administer the COVID-19 vaccine in the state. While the number of vaccines in the state currently is limited, officials say this move was made to ensure a sufficient number of trained medical professionals are available to administer the vaccine as it becomes more widely available.

“While South Carolina is currently in Phase 1a of its vaccine plan which is targeted at protecting front-line medical workers, long-term care facility residents and staff, and those who are 70 older, this joint order proactively puts us in a position to have an increased number of people who can administer vaccine when the vaccine is more widely available to everyone,” said Marshall Taylor, DHEC Acting Director.

According to officials, individuals who will be able to administer the vaccine have expanded to the following:

• Personnel with current certifications by certain certifying boards.
• Students of an accredited medical school with appropriate instruction and documented training.
• Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses who have retired, become inactive, or whose licenses have lapsed within the last five years but were in good standing.

“This Order goes a long way in helping hospitals and other providers prepare for administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. LLR, along with the Board of Medical Examiners and the Board of Nursing and other health professional licensing boards, are committed to doing everything we can to help South Carolinians gain access to a COVID-19 vaccine as quickly and safely as possible. We continue to stand ready to assist DHEC in its endeavor to do so,” LLR Director Emily Farr said.

Officials say these newly qualified providers will have to enroll in a federal program that all providers have been required to enroll in prior to administering the vaccines. DHEC says there are currently 924 vaccine provider sites enrolled with 286 of them currently active.

The full joint order can be found here.