When can you get the COVID-19 vaccine in SC? Where? Your questions answered
You asked about the COVID-19 vaccine, and we found the answers.
We put a call out last week for your most pressing questions about the COVID-19 vaccine. We did some research and reached out to South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control to find the answers.
Do you have a question that wasn’t answered here? You can submit it here.
When can you get the vaccine?
That answer has changed a lot recently.
Initially, DHEC has broken vaccine distribution into several stages depending on a number of factors, such as a person’s occupation, age or preexisting medical conditions.
Those phases changed as state lawmakers and the governor expressed frustration at the speed of vaccine distribution.
Last week, Gov. Henry McMaster asked DHEC to set a hard deadline of Jan. 15 for members of phase 1a to get the vaccine or set an appointment to get it. And on Monday, the Governor’s Office in conjunction with DHEC announced that any South Carolinian ages 70 and older can begin scheduling their COVID-19 vaccine appointment starting Jan. 13.
DHEC is also vaccinating state and local government employees and contractors “who are mission-critical for maintaining operations of COVID-19 vaccinations and testing.,” as well as non-COVID-19 inpatients in hospitals who are 65 and older.
A federal program is vaccinating long-term care facility staff and residents.
Of course, when someone can get vaccinated also can change by how many doses the state has at the time. If there aren’t enough doses to go around, residents may have to wait, even if they’re included in the current vaccine phase.
Here are the vaccine phases, as outlined by DHEC:
Phase 1a: This stage began in mid-December and was initially expected to stretch through February 2021, though this phase has been expedited. It includes residents and staff of long-term care facilities, healthcare personnel, staff caring directly for or interacting with COVID-19 patients, paid and volunteer medical first responders, hospital transport staff, medical staff in correctional facilities, medical staff at dialysis and infusion centers, home health and hospice workers, coroners and funeral home staff and dentists and dental hygienists.
DHEC also announced Jan. 8 that hospitals should begin vaccinating admitted patients older than 64 as long as they are not currently infected with COVID-19.
Phase 1b: DHEC began this phase Jan. 13 despite earlier estimates that it would not begin until late February. Phase 1b includes persons aged 70 or older, and frontline essential workers. DHEC defines those workers a firefighters, law enforcement officers, corrections officers, food and agricultural workers, U.S. Postal Service workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store employees, public transit workers and those working in education including teachers.
Phase 1c: DHEC has not issued an estimate for when they will begin phase 1c. This phase will include persons between the ages of 65 and 74, persons aged 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions that increase the risk for severe symptoms of COVID-19 and essential workers that aren’t included in Phase 1b. Those workers include people working in the following fields: transportation and logistics, food service, housing construction and finance, information technology, communications, energy, law, media, public safety and public health staff who are not frontline healthcare workers.
DHEC will release further guidance for stage 2 and stage 3 later. As for the general public, DHEC expects widespread distribution of the vaccine to begin in the summer or fall.
Where do I get vaccinated?
When it’s your turn, you can contact someone at your local hospital, DHEC says. The vaccine can only be given by appointment. But, DHEC officials said last week that individuals who are not in the current vaccine phase should not call to try to get an appointment.
Here’s a map of vaccine locations.
When the vaccine is more widely available, will people be able to get vaccinated at pharmacies?
The vaccine is currently available at some pharmacies like Publix and Walgreens. A limited number of appointments are available.
Will you have to provide proof of your occupation if you’re in an early vaccine phase?
DHEC says people trying to get vaccinated in phase 1a may need to show credentials, such as a badge, card, license or letters from employers.
Will you have to provide proof of identity?
Yes, DHEC asks those getting vaccinated to bring their identification.
How does DHEC decide to move the the next phase?
Based on CDC guidance, DHEC first said it would not move to phase 1b until 70% of phase 1a recipients are vaccinated, according to a statement issued by the agency in late December.
However, McMaster pushed DHEC to set a hard deadline of Jan. 15 for phase 1a recipients to schedule their vaccine appointment. DHEC followed the governor’s suggestion and opened up vaccination to individuals outside of the initial phase.
How did DHEC choose who counts as essential workers?
The CDC has a committee called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which is made up of members of the medical, science and ethics communities. They come together to look at pandemic statistics and come out with recommendations for the phases. They hold allow a period for public comment and then vote on the plan.
Then, the guidance they decide on is provided to the states. In South Carolina, DHEC has a 2,000 member vaccine advisory committee that takes the guidance and applies it to the state’s residents. The committee then provides recommendation to DHEC, which consults with partners to decide how to move forward.
How do I know when it’s my turn to get it?
DHEC is working on plans for a way to notify South Carolinians when it is their turn to get the COVID-19 vaccine, according to their website. As of early January, the plan will include using DHEC’s website and social media, the news media and public service announcements via print, radio and TV to get the word out. Health care providers will also let their patients know when they can get vaccinated, according to DHEC.
DHEC asked people in other vaccine phases to refrain from reaching out to hospitals to schedule appointments.
How do I schedule a vaccine appointment?
Like we said, if it’s not your turn to get vaccinated, DHEC asks that you not try to schedule an appointment. Also, do not try to schedule an appointment for your children under 16; the vaccine has not been approved for them yet.
If you have been authorized to get the vaccine, you can check DHEC’s online map for locations that are currently accepting vaccination appointments near you. That map is available here.
The map will also provide contact information for scheduling appointments at those locations.
You can also call DHEC’s Care Line at 1-855-472-3432 for help finding contact information for someone who can schedule your appointment. The Care Line cannot schedule an appointment for you, but they can point you in the right direction.
Are vaccines available in areas outside of major cities?
Yes, when the state has enough vaccine, it will be sent all over the state. To find a location near you, check out DHEC’s map.
When will children with underlying conditions be able to get vaccinated?
There are currently no vaccines authorized or approved for children, according to DHEC’s interim Director of Public Health Dr. Brannon Traxler. But there is some good news: COVID-19 vaccines are being studied in children.
However, there is no estimate for when a vaccine will be available for children.
How does the vaccine work?
As of early January, just two vaccines have been authorized for emergency use in the United States: Pfizer’s and Moderna’s.
Both vaccines are mRNA vaccines. These vaccines have material from the virus, and that material “gives our cells instructions for how to make a harmless protein,” which helps teach our bodies how to fight the virus if we are infected in the future, according to the CDC.
This vaccine does not use the live virus, which means it will not infect you with the coronavirus.
Does the vaccine have any side effects?
The CDC said you may see some side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine, but those are “normal signs that your body is building protection.”
Side effects include pain and swelling on the arm where you got vaccinated. You might also get fever, chills, tiredness and a headache.
CDC officials advise to call your doctor if the redness or tenderness where you got the shot gets worse after 24 hours or if other side effects don’t go away after a few days.
If someone has had an allergic reaction to other vaccinations, should they be cautious about getting the COVID-19 vaccine?
The CDC recommends that people who have had allergic reactions to other vaccines should ask their doctors if they should get the COVID-19 vaccine.
What’s the process for getting the second dose?
After you receive your first dose, you will get a paper that should have the date when the next vaccine is needed, according to DHEC. State health officials say that residents will be reminded when their second vaccination date is coming up.
Should I get vaccinated if I’ve already had COVID-19?
Yes. Here’s what DHEC says:
“According to data reviewed by CDC, people appear to become susceptible to reinfection after more than 90 days after initial infection.”
After I get vaccinated, how safe is it to be around someone with COVID-19?
“It is still not very safe to be around someone who has COVID-19, even if you’re fully vaccinated,” Traxler said.
The COVID-19 vaccine is 94% to 95% effective at preventing someone from getting sick, but Traxler said, there is no data yet about whether the vaccine actually prevents someone from being infected.
“And therefore, we don’t know if you could continue to pass it on to other people, to continue to be contagious even though you’re fully vaccinated and may feel fine,” Traxler said.
So, the short answer is you should still be cautious and properly protect yourself around someone with COVID-19, including wearing a mask and distancing yourself from others.
Once you’re vaccinated, do you have to wear a mask?
Traxler recommended that people continue to wear a mask. Why? See the answer above.
Why aren’t immediate family members of essential workers included in one of the early vaccine phases?
Currently, the state has a very limited number of doses, and DHEC’s priority is essential workers themselves.
Can residents of other states get vaccinated in SC?
Non-permanent residents who are living in South Carolina when the vaccine is available to them may get their dose in South Carolina, according to DHEC. Officials will not require proof of residency.
Can someone with an autoimmune disease get vaccinated?
Yes, but they should be aware that there is no data about how safe the vaccine is for them, according to DHEC.
“People with autoimmune conditions were included in the Phase 3 studies for Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and no flares of disease were seen. However, this represents only a small number of people,” DHEC’s website reads.
More data will become available as more doses of the vaccine are administered.
This story was originally published January 7, 2021 at 12:00 AM.
