‘Vaccines are our way out’: Officials urge COVID shots as Delta variant spreads in SC
A South Carolina health official described COVID-19 this week as a “vaccination-preventable” disease as she urged more state residents to get fully vaccinated.
More than 30% of residents in York, Lancaster and Chester counties have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, state data show. But South Carolina health officials insist more people must get vaccinated to avoid a surge in virus activity recently seen in other states. Shots are especially necessary as the highly transmissible Delta variant continues to spread across the nation and into South Carolina.
A recent Department of Health and Environmental Control analysis found that 94% of the 1,635 new COVID-19 cases reported over a two-week period in early June were among people who were not fully vaccinated, assistant state epidemiologist Jane Kelly said Wednesday during a media briefing.
The agency’s analysis also found that 83 of the 92 cases that required hospitalization from June 1 to June 14 were among unvaccinated individuals, and all 11 people who died from the virus during that same period were not fully vaccinated, Kelly said.
“That’s a vaccine-preventable disease,” Kelly said. “We have vaccines available. We could’ve helped to save their lives if they had been fully vaccinated.”
The results of DHEC’s analysis echos information reported nationally and in other states that indicates a majority of people who are continuing to get COVID-19, are hospitalized or have died as a result of the virus are those who are not fully vaccinated, Kelly said.
“Our state, and our nation, are at a pivotal point in this pandemic and the way to end it is readily available,” Kelly said. “Vaccines are our way out of this pandemic. We need more of our population vaccinated if we want to beat this for once and for all.”
‘This is not over yet’
York County has the highest percentage of residents fully vaccinated among the three counties. As of Thursday, about 38% of the county’s 223,809 individuals eligible for a vaccine have received two doses. And 46% have gotten at least one dose, according to DHEC data.
In Lancaster County, 34% of the county’s 78,456 people eligible for a vaccine have gotten both doses, while 44% have received at least one, DHEC data show.
About 36% of Chester County’s 27,668 people eligible for a vaccine have gotten both doses. About 40% have gotten at least one, according to DHEC data.
As of Thursday, 43% of eligible South Carolina residents are fully vaccinated, according to DHEC data. Although the recent rate at which new COVID-19 cases are reported remains low in South Carolina, the state’s low vaccination rate leaves room for the Delta variant, which accounts for more than half of new coronavirus cases nationwide, to “invade” South Carolina, Kelly said.
As of Thursday, York, Lancaster and Chester counties have reported low incidence rates for new COVID-19 cases, according to DHEC data.
The best defensive against the virus is getting vaccinated, Kelly said.
“It’s concerning right now the number of people who are out there who are not vaccinated and not masking,” Kelly said. “This is not over yet, folks.”
DHEC officials have identified 10 known cases of the Delta variant in South Carolina, but Kelly said there are likely far more cases of the variant circulating South Carolina.
Testing for the Delta variant is not a routine part of DHEC’s COVID-19 testing, officials said. The agency sequences a small fraction of randomly selected COVID-19 positive samples, indicating a good portion of Delta cases in the state go undetected, officials said.
“I can’t say it often enough — vaccines work against the Delta variant,” Kelly said. “Now is the time to get vaccinated before school starts and before the Delta variant hits South Carolina hard.”
This story was originally published July 8, 2021 at 1:30 PM.
