Local hospital wants more DHEC guidance before wider COVID-19 vaccine rollout
One local hospital is asking for more guidance from state health officials before making its stockpiles of the COVID-19 vaccine available to the general public.
Figures made available from the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control showed that in a three-week period, Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia had administered about 27% of its allotment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
On Tuesday, Lexington Medical Center said it has now administered 3,000 doses, with another 3,000 scheduled.
Currently, only a limited number of frontline workers can receive the hotly-anticipated vaccine. In line with DHEC guidance, Lexington Medical Center is prioritizing its employees for the first round of vaccinations.
“Lexington Medical Center used a prioritization schedule based on extent of contact with COVID-19 patients and those who would benefit the most from the vaccine,” hospital spokeswoman Jennifer Wilson said in a statement. “Lexington Medical Center is waiting on guidance and instructions from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control about procedures for administering the vaccine to community members.”
Despite a surge in COVID-19 cases that has placed Lexington County at 86% of its hospital capacity, Wilson said Lexington Medical is not experiencing any staffing challenges in its rollout of the vaccine.
But she says local hospitals can’t move faster than DHEC guidelines allow.
“Lexington Medical Center does not have the authority to vaccinate our community at will,” she said.
The hospital is asking state officials to move quickly to Phase 1B of the vaccine rollout, which would expand the groups eligible to receive the vaccine. Short of that, “We urge them to at least open up vaccinations to people 65 and older – our most vulnerable citizens,” Wilson said.
On Tuesday, McMaster announced the state will set a new deadline of Jan. 15 for vaccinations in Phase 1A of the rollout to be completed.
Most of the available doses at the Lexington County hospital are likely to go to hospital staff. Wilson said the vaccine will first be distributed to any of Lexington Medical’s 7,000 employees who want one. Local first responders are also being given access to the vaccine, Wilson said, and the hospital is reaching out to other health workers outside of Lexington Medical who could also benefit.
The medical center first began distributing the vaccine to employees on Dec. 15, along with other hospitals in South Carolina that received doses of the drug that protects against the spread of the coronavirus. Prisma Health has distributed about 28% of the 16,575 doses its Midlands hospitals have received, according to DHEC data, while Providence Health has used 16% of its allotment of 2,925.
Lexington Medical Center has 11,700 doses as of Tuesday, Wilson said.
As the first vaccines were being given, Lexington Medical Vice President of Operations Roger Sipe said the hospital could transition to giving shots to the general public within six weeks.
Public officials have been critical of a perceived slow distribution of the drug as COVID-19 cases across the state continue to mount. McMaster wrote to the DHEC board Thursday saying he wanted more information on its vaccine distribution plans “immediately.” State lawmakers also say they want more information on the rollout.
“I ask that the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control immediately make available to the public a complete accounting of the status and location of every COVID-19 vaccine dose that has been received and distributed in the state,” McMaster wrote in a Dec. 31 letter to DHEC board chairman Mark Elam.
In response, DHEC officials held a press conference on the Saturday of the New Year’s holiday weekend to say they expect distribution to speed up in coming weeks, but also pleaded with the public to be patient, and to understand the state only has a limited amount of the vaccine available at this time.
In Phase 1a of the vaccine rollout, South Carolina is prioritizing health care workers and the residents and staff of nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
On Monday, DHEC reported nearly 3,500 new cases have been identified, as well as 15 coronavirus-related deaths and the state’s highest-ever daily percentage of positive COVID-19 tests of more than 30%.
This story was originally published January 5, 2021 at 1:46 PM.
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