Prisma Health vaccine supply “extremely low:”

Prisma Health reached 9,370 daily COVID-19 vaccinations on Jan. 21 and says it is well on its way to meeting its goal of 10,000 vaccinations each day; however, supply is an entirely different matter.  Because of the rapid expansion and the huge community demand of those eligible to be vaccinated, Prisma Health’s vaccine supply is extremely low.

 

Starting today, Prisma Health cannot take any walk-ins at any of its vaccination sites in its Upstate locations. Can only take people who have scheduled appointments in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vaccination Administration Management System (VAMS) for that day and anyone due for their second dose, since state officials have indicated they have a reserve supply for those doses. The second dose is recommended within 17-25 days after the first dose, and everyone needs to finish their vaccination series.

 

“We are asking the public for their patience. The number of individuals who want a vaccine far, far exceeds the number of vaccine doses we have received from public officials,” said Dr. Saria Saccocio, Prisma Health chief medical officer for Ambulatory Services and co-chair of the Prisma Health vaccine task force. “While today’s announcement only applies to our Upstate locations, we are closely monitoring the Midlands vaccine supply and will provide an update about that market tomorrow.”

 

Prisma Health’s vaccine supply has dwindled tremendously, due to the rapid efficiency and the huge community demand of those aged 70 and older.

 

“We have no excess inventory of vaccine,” Saccocio continued. “We only received 25% of what we requested from the state for this week’s vaccine supply. Next week we have requested 60,000 vaccine doses to meet our demand. This is a national vaccine supply problem that is affecting the entire country.”

 

Eligible people who have a CDC VAMS appointment must come on the day they are scheduled and must bring their QR code. For those in Phase 1a, they must also o must bring identification such as a driver’s license or employer ID badge.

 

Currently, the South Carolina governor has allowed only those in Phase 1a, those hospitalized age 65 and older, and those community members aged 70 and older to receive their vaccination. In response to the challenges seen in the 70+ population with making online appointments, Prisma Health began offering appointment assistance at its COVID-19 vaccination centers for those individuals who do not have a computer or email access to complete the scheduling.

 

Prisma Health will begin vaccinating individuals in the next phase (Phase 1b) when authorized by state officials.

 

For more information about Prisma Health’s vaccination process, visit www.PrismaHealth.org/Vaccine.