DHEC, Conway Medical Center see uptick in vaccinations as COVID-19 cases surge

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WMBF) - As COVID-19 cases continue to trend upwards, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said they are seeing another trend going up.

DHEC said vaccinations are increasing across the state.

Director of public health for DHEC, Dr. Brannon Traxler said for the week of July 4, the state saw a seven-day average of fewer than 4,000 vaccinations. Now for the week of September 5, DHEC said the seven-day average hit over 9,000 vaccinations.

Conway Medical Center is also seeing the same trend.

For the week of July 12, CMC officials said they gave out only 76 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. By the week of August 29, the hospital said 937 doses were administered.

CMC officials said this rise at their hospital is due in part to the full FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine and the rise of COVID-19 cases has caused many to reconsider their decision to not get vaccinated. Officials also said more people are becoming eligible for third shots.

DHEC leaders also discussed the mu variant and the C.1.2 variant. As of now, Traxler said those are not variants of concern in South Carolina at this point.

“DHEC is focused on those variants of concern that do have the data to show they are more transmissible. But we continue to monitor not only the C.1.2 but all emerging variants,” Traxler said.

CMC hosts its vaccine clinic on Mondays and Wednesdays at their Socastee location. Appointments are not needed.

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