Can’t find COVID vaccine appointment in Phase 1b? What SC, Rock Hill officials suggest

With more than half of South Carolina’s population now eligible for a coronavirus vaccine, appointments across the state are getting quickly snatched up.

But state health officials insist the high demand is “to be expected.”

Even Rock Hill’s vaccination clinic, the largest provider in the York County area, can’t seem to offer appointments quick enough, officials said.

The clinic, which has so far administered roughly 17,800 doses, already filled up most of its available appointments this week and next, Rock Hill city spokeswoman Katie Quinn told The Herald.

More than 44,000 York County residents had been vaccinated as of Thursday, according to the state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control, meaning that the number of doses administered at Rock Hill’s clinic account for nearly 40% of the total doses given in the county.

“Appointments are going quickly, so we’d just ask people to be patient,” she said.

Phase 1b, which accounts for 2.7 million South Carolinians, has extended eligibility to anyone 55 or older, people age 16-64 with preexisting conditions, and front-line essential workers, such as teachers, law enforcement officers, postal workers and grocery store workers.

Originally, state health officials intended Phase 1b to offer eligibility only to front-line essential workers, accounting for about 574,000 people. The broadened Phase 1b gives eligibility to roughly five times more residents than initially planned.

“We did it based on risk,” Nick Davidson, DHEC’s senior deputy for public health, said during a media briefing Wednesday. “We wanted to ensure that those that were at significant risk were the next group to be eligible for the vaccine ... If you make one group eligible because of risk, to what extent is relative risk equivalent to another group? So, we did look at those who have reasonably equivalent risk.”

Too soon for SC to go to 1b?

Less than a week into Phase 1b, demand far outstrips supply, officials said. Phase 1b, in combination with Phase 1a, allows 4 million South Carolinians to get a coronavirus shot.

So far, state vaccine providers have given more than 1 million first and second doses, according to DHEC. As of this week, more than 815,000 people have received a first dose and more than 461,000 people have received both. That’s about 11% of the state’s population.

Even so, the agency anticipates moving into Phase 1c, which offers eligibility to essential workers and anyone 45 and older, by mid-April. The phase would account for an additional 1.9 million South Carolinians, according to DHEC’s estimate.

DHEC officials stand by the decision to go into Phase 1b.

“What we began to hear over the past couple weeks scattered around the state — not everywhere but a little bit here a little bit there — were that clinic appointments were not filling completely and that is not the problem now,” Davidson said. “If (appointments) appear, they quickly fill. So, absolutely, demand is really high, but that’s to be expected.”

South Carolina will continue to receive more vaccine supply and add providers, which will ease demand, Davidson said.

“I know right now, it can be a little bit frustrating just because there is such high demand since we just opened 1b,” he said. “I think that will wane over time and people will have an easier time getting access to that... So, now is the time to move to 1b.”

Next week, South Carolina health officials are expecting to receive 66,690 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is about 4,700 more than last week’s supply, and 48,800 doses of Moderna, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

South Carolina received a one-time shipment last week of about 41,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Next week, the state should receive about 5,700 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to CDC data.

‘More appointments will certainly open up’

DHEC has set up an online tool for eligible individuals to find a nearby provider at scdhec.gov/vaxlocator. DHEC also has a vaccine information line, 866-365-8110, for people to get details on how to schedule an appointment with nearby providers.

Davidson said he anticipates the high demand seen this week to go on for “at least a week or more,” and he suggested South Carolinians having trouble finding an appointment continue to check DHEC’s website, locator tool or call its information line.

“At the same time be patient,” Davidson said. “We know that demand is very high right now. Vaccine continues to remain limited across the state. All providers are working overtime we realize that, as are we, to help schedule appointments and to help get vaccines into arms.”

He also suggested South Carolinians call local hospitals, pharmacies and other providers as appointment availability can change daily.

“More appointments will certainly open up as providers receive their weekly allocation of doses,” he said.

Local vaccine providers

Rock Hill Piedmont Medical Center Community Vaccination Clinic

• Galleria Mall, 2295 Dave Lyle Blvd., Rock Hill

How to schedule: The clinic is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Eligible patients should complete a vaccine request form. Patients will receive an email from the CDC with a link to register for an account in the federal Vaccine Administration Management System. Then patients can schedule an appointment.

The city also has a how-to guide. Or patients can call the clinic at 803-980-2684.

St. John’s United Methodist Church in Rock Hill is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday to help people register.

MUSC-Health

• 800 West Meeting St., Lancaster
• 1 Medical Park Drive, Chester

This story was originally published March 12, 2021 at 7:54 AM.

Cailyn Derickson

The Herald

Cailyn Derickson is a city government and politics reporter for The Herald, covering York, Chester and Lancaster counties. Cailyn graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has previously worked at The Pilot and The News and Observer.