South Carolina’s Covid-19 vaccinations appear to have stalled over the past few weeks as the state continues to be in the bottom in the country for percentage of population that is fully vaccinated. According to the CDC, only 39.86% of South Carolina residents are now fully vaccinated; SC DHEC puts that percentage at 43.6%. Vermont leads the nations with 66.91% of its residents being fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

South Carolina’s vaccinated percentage is comparable to the vaccination rate of several states that are currently experiencing outbreaks and significant increases in cases.

Three of the top five states in terms of percentage increase of new COVID-19 cases are also among the states with the lowest vaccinations rates. South Carolina has a similar vaccination rate as Tennessee and Idaho which are among the top in the nation for new Covid cases, a fact that indicates that South Carolina Covid cases may be rising soon.

The overwhelming majority of people who are continuing to get COVID-19 and who are getting hospitalized and dying from this disease are those who are not fully vaccinated,” said Dr. Jane Kelly, Assistant State Epidemiologist, during a statewide media update. “I can’t think of a more impactful point to make that would encourage someone who hasn’t yet received their shots to do so right away.”

South Carolina Covid-19 Snapshot: July 18th

Unvaccinated Individuals are at Higher Risk as Covid Mutates

“There seemingly are two Americas: the better vaccinated states and those states less well-vaccinated,” added Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.

“The highly contagious delta variant will continue to spread rapidly in the undervaccinated states, resulting in a rise in COVID cases and consequent hospitalizations,” he said. “This is distressing because virtually all these cases could be prevented by vaccination.”

The good news is, if you’re fully vaccinated, you’re protected … our biggest concern is we are going to continue see preventable cases, hospitalizations, and sadly, deaths among the unvaccinated.

Greenville MD Says Vaccine is Key to Covid-Free Living

Saria Saccocio, MD Summer is here and we have returned to the days of family gatherings and neighborhood cookouts. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US deaths are down 90% from Covid-19 compared to our highest numbers in January. Masks and social distancing are quickly becoming an exception rather than the rule. However, it’s important…

SC DHEC is Asking for Help

“We have said many times that DHEC can’t end this pandemic alone,” said Dr. Traxler. “We need state and local officials, teachers and educators, faith and other community leaders, and the business community to be COVID-19 ambassadors. We are excited about the hyperlocal connections these organizations will make with people in their communities through this new federally supported vaccine effort as we continue to focus on saving lives and protecting all South Carolinians.” Learn more about how to help South Carolina increase our Covid vaccination numbers.

Latest CDC Numbers: July 19th

South Carolina
Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,052,373
Percentage of population fully vaccinated: 39.86

The CDC’s data tracker compiles data from healthcare facilities and public health authorities. It updates daily to report the total number of people in each state who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The numbers reported by the CDC may vary from the numbers published on individual states’ public health websites, as there may be reporting lags between the states and the CDC.