COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster praised an uptick in vaccinations in the state, saying the pace will continue to increase in the coming week.
McMaster met with Prisma Health officials Monday over at the Gamecock Park near Williams-Brice Stadium. The Gamecock Park is one of two mass vaccination sites set up by Prisma Health, the large hospital group in South Carolina. The other is in Greenville.
Prisma announced Monday that starting now, they will begin registering people for the vaccine themselves, by passing the VAMS federal website administered by the CDC.
The hospital group just passed 100,000 vaccines administered. After a slow start, the pace of vaccinations has begun picking up in South Carolina. This week, the state--as well as the rest of America--will get a 16 percent surge from the federal government in the amount of coronavirus doses to distribute.
As of the latest number, a total of 418,670 vaccines have been distribute to people. That includes both first and second dose shots.
Roughly 92 percent of the Pfizer vaccine doses--which is what Prisma health distributes--have been given, according to the latest information from SCDHEC.
To receive their vaccine from Prisma, people can access Prisma sites by visiting www.PrismaHealth.org/Vaccine for the latest information about the vaccination process and how to request an appointment either online or by phone at 833-2PRISMA (833-277-4762.)
Prisma Health locations can be found in the DHEC vaccine locator above.
The large-scale community vaccination site in Columbia is across the street from South Carolina's Williams Brice Stadium at 22 National Guard Rd., Columbia, SC 29201, or Gamecock Park.
The following locations are set up for limited walk-in first vaccine doses, pending supply (check the web site daily):
- Gamecock Park, 22 National Guard Road, Columbia
- Kmart site at 1 Kmart Plaza, Greenville (Note, will not have first dose walk-ins for Friday, Jan. 29)
- Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital
- Prisma Health Greer Memorial Hospital
- Prisma Health Laurens County Hospital (Until Feb. 1, when it transitions to the new site referenced above)
- Prisma Health Oconee Memorial Hospital
Prisma Health will calculate its vaccine availability for walk-ins several times during the day based on those scheduled and arrived appointments. The www.PrismaHealth.org/Vaccine website will update in real time, with those sites still open for walk-ins listed in green. Sites that no longer have walk-in availability for that day are marked in red.
Meanwhile, DHEC has launched a new COVID-19 vaccine information line. People can call 1-866-365-8110 The service is available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week People who have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines or who need help finding vaccine providers and their contact information are asked to call that number.
