COVID-19 vaccine | SCDHEC

English | Español

View full size

Frequently Asked Questions Vaccination plan Phase 1a Orientations Phase 1a Allocations

Vaccine updates Phase 1b Phase 1c Phase 2

What phase am I in?

Our top priority is saving lives. Everyone will have the chance to get the vaccine. However, the number of doses is currently limited in South Carolina as in all states. We ask everyone to be patient, to know what stage you are in and to follow the advice of our public health officials. This will allow public health officials to make sure those who are most at risk and those who are keeping us alive are vaccinated first.

To support this effort, vaccine distribution is being done on a phased approach. The following plan gives an overview of the categories and the time planned for each phase. This is subject to change at any time for many reasons, such as a change in federal guidelines or VAC recommendations for South Carolina.

Phase 1a and 70+ (currently in progress)

As of Wednesday, January 13, any resident of South Carolina aged 70 or older, regardless of medical condition or pre-existing conditions, can start scheduling their appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. A map with the current locations accepting vaccine appointments will be available at scdhec.gov/vaxlocator starting Wednesday, January 13.

Employers are encouraged to contact their local hospitals as soon as possible and no later than January 15, 2021, with a list of names and contact details of employees who wish to be vaccinated. In addition, people in phase 1a who wish to be vaccinated should contact their local hospitals to request and make an appointment no later than January 15, 2021.

People who book appointments may need to present identifying information to verify that they are eligible for the phase 1a vaccination. This includes providing proof (e.g. badge, card, license, personalized letter from employer, photo of license) of Phase 1a qualification when presenting for vaccination.

Phase 1a includes:

• Health workers
  • Initial focus on frontline health workers high risk of exposure and essential to the overarching goal of preventing death
  • Health workers and medical staff can use the SCHA hospital contact list to schedule their vaccinations.
• Residents and staff of long-term care facilities
• Admitted inpatients aged 65 and over as long as they do not currently have COVID-19 and a provider believes they are advised to do so
• Anyone aged 70 and over, regardless of their health or pre-existing conditions
• State / local government employees and their subcontractors who are essential to the mission of maintaining COVID-19 vaccination and testing operations in HC

Healthcare workers include:

• Anesthesiology assistants, certified cardiovascular invasion 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 are at risk of exposure to bodily fluids
• Chiropractors
• Dentists and hygienists and dental technicians
• Dietetic and food service personnel in health establishments
• Environmental services staff in health facilities
• Port pilots
• Home health and hospice workers
• Hospital transport staff
• Laboratory staff and phlebotomists
• Registered dietitians
• Medical assistants
• First medical responders (paid and volunteers): EMS; fire and law enforcement personnel providing emergency medical care
• Nurses, nurse practitioners and orderlies / assistants
• Opticians and optometrists and assistants / technicians
• Persons providing medical care in prisons and correctional officers
• Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians
• Physiotherapists and Occupational Therapists and Assistants
• Doctors, including household medical staff (i.e. interns, residents, fellows) and physician assistants
• Podiatrists
• Public health workers who frequently interact with people potentially infected with COVID-19
• Radiology technicians
• Respiratory care practitioners, such as respiratory therapists
• Speech therapists and assistants and audiologists
• Students and interns in the above categories

Back to the top

Phase 1b (end of winter 2021)

* All time estimates are subject to change due to vaccine availability, demand and provider involvement.

Phase 1b includes:

• Essential frontline workers
  • Sectors included by ACIP: firefighters, law enforcement, prison officers, food and agriculture workers, USPS workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, public transit and those working in education – teachers, support staff and daycare centers

Back to the top

Phase 1c (early spring 2021)

* All time estimates are subject to change due to vaccine availability, demand and provider involvement.

Phase 1c includes:

• All the elderly 65 and over
• The elderly 16 years and older with certain underlying health conditions that puts them at high risk for serious illness (list by CDC)
• Other essential workers
  • Examples included by ACIP: people working in the fields of transport and logistics, catering, housing construction and finance, information technology, communications, energy, law, media, public safety and public health who are not frontline health workers

Back to the top

Phase 2 (late spring-autumn 2021)

* All time estimates are subject to change due to vaccine availability, demand and provider involvement.

Phase 2 includes:

• ALL people who want to be vaccinated
  • Ages according to ACIP recommendations

Phase 2 vaccinations are expected to begin in late spring 2021, and vaccines are expected to be available to the general public during summer and fall 2021.

What should I do now?

Everyone will have the chance to get vaccinated. We call on all South Carolinians to continue to unite to fight this disease by taking small steps that make a big difference:

• Wear your mask
• Get tested and stay home when sick
• Avoid large gatherings
• Practice physical distancing

Back to the top

Vaccine updates

Previous vaccine updates

Contact us

Back to the top