South Carolina health officials expect no increase in the number of vaccines the state is receiving each week anytime soon, they announced during a news briefing Monday afternoon to discuss the state’s response to COVID-19 and its vaccine rollout efforts.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention South Carolina is receiving the lowest amount of doses per capita in the nation. For every 100,000 people, South Carolina received approximately 6800 doses, according to the CDC.
“While DHEC continues to request the most doses possible each week from the federal government, currently 100% of COVID-19 vaccines available in our state have either been given or are scheduled to be given,” said Dr. Brannon Taxler of SCDHEC.
Traxler said state health officials spent the weekend and Monday on the phone with representatives from Operation Warp Speed and the CDC to try to receive an explanation for the low amount of vaccine provided. Traxler said clear answers were not immediately available Monday.
While health officials pointed to a lack of supply from the federal government, Governor Henry McMaster placed some of the blame for the delay in vaccinations on the hospitals themselves.
