April 16, 2021
This page will be updated regularly as information becomes available.
School and childcare staff are eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations
As of March 2, 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has directed that those who work in pre-primary, primary, and secondary schools, as well as Head Start and Early Head Start programs (including teachers, staff, and bus drivers) and those who work as or for licensed child care providers, including center-based and family care providers, are eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations. On March 4, 2021, DHEC sent a letter outlining this important update to the state's COVID-19 vaccine providers.
Beginning March 8, appointments to get the COVID-19 vaccine can be made by people in Phase 1b.
Phase 1b includes:
- Anyone aged 55 and up
- People with increased risk for severe COVID-19 disease
- People aged 16-54 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 16-54 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 than6 feet) and ongoing (more than 15 minutes) contact with others in the work environment
- A person's eligibility for a COVID-19 vaccine isn't based on a specific job or work sector. If a person decides that they meet job risk using the criteria above, they are eligible.
- Some examples of people who may be frontline workers based on risk may include school staff and daycare workers, criminal justice staff, government employees, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, and law enforcement officers.
- Frontline workers with increased occupational risk are people who:
- 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 healthcare and community health settings who have routine, direct patient contact and were not vaccinated in Phase 1a
Estimated Population of Phase 1b: Approximately 2.7 million
Phase 1c, which included anyone aged 45 and up and remaining essential workers, was initially planned to begin April 12, 2021. Due to the announcement of Phase 2 beginning March 31, 2021, Phase 1c is no longer necessary.
What Should I Do Now ?
Until enough of us get vaccinated, we must all continue to:
- Wear masks,
- Stay six feet away from others,
- Get tested and stay home when you’re sick, and
- Avoid crowds.
Vaccine Updates
Previous Vaccine Updates
- April 16, 2021 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Jane Kelly - (YouTube)
- April 14, 2021 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Brannon Traxler - (YouTube)
- April 9, 2021 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Brannon Traxler - (YouTube)
- April 7, 2021 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Brannon Traxler - (YouTube)
- April 2, 2021 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Brannon Traxler - (YouTube)
Contact Us
- For questions relating to...
COVID-19 provider enrollment, please email: COVIDproviderenrollment@dhec.sc.gov - If you are an immunization provider with questions related to the...
Vaccine Administration Management System, please email: VAMS@dhec.sc.gov