This will allow roughly 2.7 million people in the state to get the vaccine, officials said.
It includes teachers, essential workers, and everyone 55 and older. People at higher risk for severe COVID-19 disease because of medical conditions, or living or work conditions, are also included. See a full list below.
Gov. Henry McMaster, Department of Health and Environmental Control Director Dr. Edward Simmer and State Superintendent Molly Spearman made the announcement Tuesday morning at the State House.
People must give proof of their eligibility to get the vaccine. To do that, DHEC said people can show an ID with their age or workplace listed, or by verifying their high-risk medical condition (see what qualifies below).
Officials said some vaccines will be given in “good faith” to those who claim they are qualified.
This phase includes “more than half of everyone in South Carolina,” Simmer said.
Here is the full breakdown of everyone in phase 1b, per DHEC:
- Anyone aged 55 and up
- People with increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease:
- People aged 16-64 with one or more of the following high-risk medical conditions:
- Cancer (current, not a history of cancer), chronic kidney disease (any stage), chronic lung disease, diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2), Down syndrome, heart disease (congestive heart disease, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy, pulmonary hypertension), HIV/AIDS, solid organ transplant, obesity (BMI >30), pregnancy, sickle cell disease.
- People who have a developmental or other severe high-risk disability that makes developing severe life-threatening illness or death from COVID-19 infection more likely
- People aged 16-64 with one or more of the following high-risk medical conditions:
- Frontline workers with increased occupational risk:
- Frontline workers with increased occupational risk are people who:
- Must be in-person at their place of work, and
- Perform a job that puts them at increased risk of exposure due to their frequent, close (less than 6 feet) and ongoing (more than 15 minutes) contact with others in the work environment
- Frontline workers with increased occupational risk are people who:
Examples of frontline workers include, but are not limited to, school staff and day care workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, law enforcement officers, etc.
- Individuals at increased risk in settings where people are living and working in close contact:
- Residents and workers in group home settings for the mentally or physically disabled or those with behavioral or substance abuse conditions
- Workers and residents in homeless shelters
- Workers and residents in community training homes
- State and local correctional facility staff with direct inmate contact
- Correctional and immigration detention facility inmates
- Migrant farmworkers living in shared housing or reliant on shared transportation
- All workers in health care and community health settings who have routine, direct patient contact and were not vaccinated in Phase 1a
Those who are eligible under this phase may make appointments beginning March 8.
To find locations distributing the vaccine, click or tap here. That map links to providers’ websites where people can make appointments, or lists the provider’s phone number.
South Carolina currently has more than 500 vaccine providers, DHEC said.
Here are several phone numbers people can call to make appointments through different providers, as well:
- DHEC’s Vaccine Line: 866-365-8110
- Lexington Medical Center: 803-739-3363
- Nephron: 800-443-4313
Officials also estimated moving to phase 1c of the vaccine rollout on April 12. That phase will include everyone aged 45 and older, as well as more essential workers who don’t qualify under 1b.
Phase 2 will begin around May 3, DHEC estimated. That phase includes everyone 16 and older.
Of course, those timeframes may shift based on South Carolina’s vaccine supply.
Source: WISTV.com
