In a press conference Thursday, Alabama Governor shared her frustration with her state’s low Covid Vaccination rate. To date, only 33.9% of Alabama residents have been completely vaccinated against Covid-19 and the state is experiencing a dramatic rise in new Covid infections. The number of COVID-19 cases reported in Alabama has risen 39% from June 26, 2021, to July 9, 2021 and Alabama’s current statewide percent positivity for COVID-19 has increased to its highest level since February 2021, 7.7 percent
After stating that the Covid vaccines are safe and effective, the Governor went on to call out Alabama residents who are refusing to get the vaccine: “I don’t know. You tell me,” Ivey said. “Folks [are] supposed to have common sense. But it’s time to start blaming the unvaccinated folks, not the regular folks. It’s the unvaccinated folks that are letting us down.”
South Carolina Still Struggling to Vaccinate Residents
While South Carolina just passed the 50% mark in residents receiving at least one dose of Covid Vaccine, only 44 percent of South Carolina residents are now fully vaccinated.
“This milestone is encouraging, and we thank everyone who made the decision to get vaccinated. We are especially proud of our senior citizens, ages 65 and up, who account for more than a third of our state’s vaccinations. But we still have a lot of work to do,” said Dr. Edward Simmer, DHEC Director. “We encourage our younger residents to roll up their sleeve and get this life-saving vaccine so they can protect themselves, as well as family members who may have preexisting conditions and children who are too young to get vaccinated.”
In South Carolina, our younger residents — those who are ages 20-24 and 12-19 respectively — are among the least vaccinated age groups. We are seeing significant increases in cases and hospitalizations among these younger groups, and the recent uptick in cases has been almost entirely among those who are not vaccinated. Becoming fully vaccinated is the most effective way to prevent serious illness and even death from COVID-19 infection.
Residents who have not gotten their second shot are encouraged to get it now to complete their vaccination. If you missed your second shot appointment or it’s been more than the recommended 21 or 28 days since your first dose, that’s ok. DHEC encourages you to complete your vaccination as soon as possible. Vaccinations are more important than ever due to increased cases of the Delta variant and other Variants of Concern identified by the CDC. These variants have made COVID-19 more transmissible and increase the risk of severe sickness, hospitalization, and death.
This is especially concerning as children prepare for the new 2021-2022 school year. Between June 1 and July 15, at least 150 COVID-19 cases were reported among South Carolina residents who attended or worked at a summer camp. These camps include children who attend sleepovers, as well as day camps in a variety of settings.
“These numbers are a snapshot of what could happen in our schools this year if more parents, students, teachers, and other school officials don’t get vaccinated,” Simmer added. “At this time last year, we did not have a solution to defeat COVID-19. Now we do. We don’t want this deadly virus spreading in our school or communities. Vaccinations will help us end this pandemic, and we need all eligible residents to be on board.”
DHEC is currently finalizing its guidance for South Carolina schools and will make it available next week. Visit DHEC’s information page for more information on the vaccines, and the locator page to schedule a vaccine appointment.
