In order to increase its capacity to vaccinate South Carolina residents against COVID-19, Prisma Health will have dedicated community vaccine centers in Greenville and Columbia beginning next week. The health system will continue to further expand its vaccination initiatives as more COVID-19 vaccine becomes available.
Prisma officials believe that in a few weeks they’ll be able to administer up to 10,000 doses of the vaccine a day, according to a release.
“We are mobilizing multiple resources across our system in order to help provide vaccines — as well as continue providing leading-edge care to patients with COVID-19 — as part of this unprecedented event, the largest vaccination process in the history of our country,” said Dr. Saria Saccocio, Prisma’s chief ambulatory medical officer and the co-chair of the health system’s COVID-19 vaccine task force. “We are very encouraged that so many people want to receive their vaccines.”
Prisma began vaccinating those 70 and over on Wednesday that had filled out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS).
Related: Greenville Mayor and Prisma officials discuss rising COVID-19 cases and vaccine rollout
The health system has already given almost 26,000 doses. As of Thursday, Jan. 14, it had received nearly 45,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Health care workers and first responders received the first doses of the vaccine.
“Please know that Prisma Health and other health care providers across South Carolina are working very hard on implementation details in a rapidly evolving environment,” said Saccocio. “We continue to ask for the community’s patience. Please be assured that we are moving as quickly as we can with our current vaccine supply.”
To make an appointment for the vaccine, those eligible should fill out a form at www.PrismaHealth.org/Vaccine. An email address is required, and that will be where the CDC emails a link to set up the appointment.
If scheduling an appointment over the phone is easier, individuals can call 833-277-4762.
Officials at Prisma asked community members not to submit more than one vaccine request. They also noted that Prisma physician offices, pharmacies and hospitals cannot schedule people for the vaccine. It must be done online or over the phone.
It takes two dose of the vaccine to be 95% effective, so community members are cautioned to continue following safeguards against the coronavirus, including wearing a face mask, social distancing, washing hands frequently, avoiding large gatherings and staying home if sick.
Find out more about COVID-19 by visiting: https://scdhec.gov/covid19.
