Distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine is beginning to roll out at pharmacies and clinics across Rock Hill for eligible individuals in accordance with South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control guidelines.
A community vaccine clinic, organized by a combined effort from Piedmont Medical Center, SCDHEC and Rock Hill city officials, began operating at the Galleria Mall on Jan. 22.
Eligible individuals under SCDHEC’s Phase 1a grouping seeking to receive vaccination must file an initial request through the Piedmont Medical Center website, then await further instruction to register for vaccination through the Vaccine Administration Management System portal maintained by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the Piedmont Medical Center website. Piedmont Medical Center’s Facebook page said that appointments are “filed weekly based on the number of vaccine doses we expect to receive. When no additional appointments are available, patients will be instructed to check back online to schedule appointments as they become available.”
SCDHEC’s COVID-19 Vaccine Plan is organized into several phases intended to provide the maximum number of vaccinations while minimizing the mortality rate, according to the SCDHEC website. The current Phase 1a targets vaccine allocation for “staff and residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities and people working in healthcare settings.”
“The overarching principle in Phase 1a is averting deaths,” reads SCDHEC’s “Phase 1A: Guidance for COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation” document. “For this initial phase DHEC recommends vaccinating healthcare providers and workers in healthcare settings. If these providers were to become sick and unable to provide to work, health care systems could become too overwhelmed to provide care, and mortality would increase.
“Other workers in healthcare settings who may be exposed to suspect or confirmed COVID-19 patients or infective materials are included in Phase 1a. However, administration of vaccines will needto be staggered within this first phase, depending
on supply, facilities’ staffing resources, and vaccine uptake.”
These guidelines also lay out that “Hospitals can begin vaccinating their admitted patients who are aged 65 years and older, as long as they do not currently have COVID-19 and a provider feels it is indicated for them.”
The SCDHEC guidelines for Phase 1a specifies some of the prioritized groups eligible to receive the vaccination, including mission-critical workers such as athletic trainers, chiropractors, dentists, dietary and food services staff in healthcare facilities, nurses, pharmacists, physicians and radiology technicians, among many others. The guidelines note that all included groups within a phase are granted equal priority.
Large retail stores outfitted with pharmacies and healthcare workers such as Walmart, Sam’s Club and Harris Teeter have also committed to aiding in vaccine allocation and distribution as supplies become available. The Harris Teeter website states that “limited quantities will be available in SC during the week of February 1, 2021,” with registration being available online to schedule an appointment.
Walmart Executive Vice President for Health & Wellness Cheryl Pegus has said Walmart expects to provide 10-13 million doses per month as supplies allow and outlined a plan to provide vaccination both in and outside of store doors, according to the Walmart website.
“The first [key area of focus for vaccine distribution] is what many term ‘health care deserts,’” a statement on the website from Pegus reads. “These are mostly rural locations where there are very few options for customers to find health care. We have nearly 4,000 Walmart locations that are positioned within one or more of the federally designated medically underserved areas or where there are limited pharmacy options.
“The second is through COVID-19 vaccination events in underserved communities. Walmart has the reach and the qualified, trained pharmacists and pharmacy staff to partner with community vaccination services at third party locations like churches, stadiums and youth centers.”
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is currently working to prepare the transitory stages for Phases 1b and 1c in South Carolina, according to the SCDHEC website.
Photo by Wren Brooke
