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DHEC releases plan to allocate COVID-19 vaccines by region, population

The change would shift allocation from vaccine supply based on provider requests to a per capita allocation by regions.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Department of Health and Environmental Control's Board met Thursday morning to speak about vaccine allocations around the state, among other things on their agenda.  

A presentation on a new per capita allocation process was given. According to DHEC, that process will begin next week. 

Senior Deputy for Public Health Nick Davidson gave a full report outlining the new per capita allocation process.

After a bill was signed into law on February 19, DHEC has been working to shift vaccine allocation in the state from vaccine supply and provider requests to using a per capita allocation by regions. The four regions are the Upstate, Midlands, Pee Dee and Lowcountry.

South Carolina General Assembly 124th Session, 2021-2022 Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format Indicates Matter Stricken Indicates New Matter A2, R4, H3707 STATUS INFORMATION Joint Resolution Sponsors: Ways and Means Committee Document Path: l:\council\bills\nbd\11158dg21.docx Introduced in the House on January 26, 2021 Introduced in the Senate on January 28,

Population is taken into consideration and things like age, poverty level, infection rate and high-risk medical conditions determine the allotment.

“In addition to the per capita allocation," Davidson said, "we will have a baseline or consistent amount that will be established per facility for first doses.”

According to the update, the baseline allotment for hospitals will not be less than the week prior, keeping the baseline allocation the same or more.

“We have fortunately seen that Pfizer over the last several weeks has continued an incremental increase pretty much every week, so that is allowing us to do more to help out the hospitals that have been needing and wanting so much," Davidson said. "As we set baselines, I think it's given us a little bit of extra wiggle room to be able to make sure that we can deliver entire delivery amounts to facilities.” 

For more information on allocations in the state, visit this website.

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