Monday, January 25, 2021
This page will be updated regularly as information becomes available.
FAQs Vaccine Plan Phase 1a GuidancePhase 1a Allocations
Phase 1b Phase 1c Phase 2 Vaccine Updates
What Phase am I in?
Our top priority is to save lives. Everyone will have a chance to get the vaccine. However, the number of doses is currently limited in South Carolina like in all states. We ask everyone to please be patient, learn what phase you’re in and follow the guidance of our public health officials. This will allow public health officials to ensure those at highest risk and those who keep us alive are vaccinated first.
To support this effort, vaccine distribution is occurring in a phased approach. The following outline provides an overview of the anticipated categories and time for each phase. This is subject to change at any time for many reasons, such as a change in federal guidance or in the VAC’s recommendations for South Carolina.
Phase 1a and 70+ (Currently Ongoing - February 2021)
Visit COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments to learn how to make a vaccine appointment.
Individuals making appointments may need to present credentials to verify they qualify to receive vaccination under Phase 1a. This includes providing some proof (e.g., badge, card, license, personalized letter from employer, picture of license) of Phase 1a qualification when presenting for the vaccination.
Phase 1a mission-critical workers and individuals include:
- 70+ year olds, regardless of health status or preexisting conditions
- Anesthesiology assistants, registered cardiovascular invasive specialists, and operating room staff
- Athletic Trainers
- American Sign Language (ASL) and other interpreters in healthcare facilities
- Autopsy room staff, coroners, embalmers, and funeral home staff at risk of exposure to bodily fluids
- Chiropractors
- Dentists and dental hygienists and technicians
- Dietary and food services staff in healthcare facilities
- Environmental services staff in healthcare facilities
- Harbor pilots
- Home health and hospice workers
- Hospital transport personnel
- Hospital inpatients 65 and older
- Laboratory personnel and phlebotomists
- Licensed dietitians
- Long-Term Care Facility (LTCF) residents and staff
- Medical assistants
- Medical first responders (paid and volunteer): EMS; fire department and law enforcement personnel who provide emergency medical care
- Nurses, nurse practitioners, and nurse’s aides/ assistants
- Opticians and optometrists and assistants/ technicians
- Parents who are home caregivers of a child who is medically fragile or complex or severely disabled. (Requires a medical provider’s signed attestation to confirm parent meets criteria.)
- Persons providing medical care in correctional facilities and correctional officers
- Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians
- Physical and occupational therapists and assistants
- Physicians, including medical house staff (i.e., interns, residents, fellows), and physician assistants
- Podiatrists
- Public health healthcare workers who are frequently interacting with persons with potential COVID-19 infection
- Radiology technicians
- Respiratory care practitioners, such as respiratory therapists
- Speech language pathologists and assistants and audiologists
- State/local government employees and their contractors who are mission-critical for maintaining operations of COVID-19 vaccinations and testing in SC
- Students and interns of the above categories
Estimated Population of Phase 1a: 987,039
Phase 1b (Early Spring 2021)
*All time estimates are subject to change due to vaccine availability, demand, and provider participation.
Phase 1b includes:
- Frontline essential workers
- Sectors included by ACIP: firefighters, law enforcement officers, corrections officers, food and agricultural workers, USPS workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, public transit workers, and those who work in the educational sector—teachers, support staff, and daycare workers
Estimated Population of Phase 1b: 573,501
Phase 1c (Late Spring 2021)
*All time estimates are subject to change due to vaccine availability, demand, and provider participation.
Phase 1c includes:
- All people aged 65 and older
- People aged 16 and older with certain underlying health conditions that puts them at high risk for severe disease (list by CDC)
- Other essential workers
- Examples included by ACIP: people who work in transportation and logistics, food service, housing construction and finance, information technology, communications, energy, law, media, public safety, and public health staff who are non-frontline healthcare workers
Estimated Population of Phase 1c: 2,897,527
Phase 2 (Summer - Fall 2021)
*All time estimates are subject to change due to vaccine availability, demand, and provider participation.
Phase 2 includes:
- ALL people who wish to be vaccinated
- Ages per recommendations by ACIP
Estimated Population of Phase 2: 690,648
Phase 2 vaccinations are anticipated to begin in Summer 2021, with the vaccines expected to become available for the general public during the summer and fall of 2021.
What Should I Do Now?
Everyone will have a chance to get the vaccine. We call on all South Carolinians to continue to stand together to fight this disease by taking small steps that make a big difference:
- Wearing your mask
- Getting tested and staying home when you’re sick
- Avoiding large gatherings
- Practicing physical distancing
Vaccine Updates
Previous Vaccine Updates
- January 25, 2021 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Brannon Traxler
- January 22, 2021 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Brannon Traxler
- January 20, 2021 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Brannon Traxler
- January 18, 2021 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Brannon Traxler
- January 15, 2021 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Brannon Traxler
- January 13, 2021 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Brannon Traxler
- January 11, 2021 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Brannon Traxler
- January 8, 2021 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Brannon Traxler
- January 6, 2021 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Brannon Traxler
- January 4, 2021 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Brannon Traxler
- January 2, 2021 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Brannon Traxler
- December 31, 2020 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Brannon Traxler
- December 18, 2020 - DHEC COVID-19 Vaccine Update and Q&A with Dr. Brannon Traxler
Contact Us
- For questions regarding phases of the
COVID-19 Vaccination Plan, please email: ACC-Immunization@dhec.sc.gov - 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