Here’s where people over 65 years old can get a COVID-19 vaccine in Horry County
Tens of thousands of seniors across the Grand Strand are trying to make appointments to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Phone lines are busy, websites crash and slots fill up within hours of opening.
Monday, Feb. 8 was the first day people 65 years and older could start to make appointments to be vaccinated, a move S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster said “we have a moral and ethical duty to first vaccinate the South Carolinians who are at the highest risk of dying from the virus.”
States across the country are grappling with who to vaccinate first. Some are including teachers, but a joint resolution in South Carolina was opposed by McMaster, who said educators won’t jump in front of seniors in the line.
The best way to find vaccination locations is by going to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control website. After entering a zip code the site shows locations nearby that are accepting appointments and contact information for those places.
There is also an interactive map on the website.
Horry County Sites
Conway Medical Center, Tidelands Health and Grand Strand Medical Center are the three hospitals taking applications for appointments for people over 70. Other hospitals and cities are hosting mass-vaccination events that are usually not publicly announced.
Hospital officials said they are dealing with a limited amount of vaccine doses and opening appointments as they get more vaccines from the government.
Publix, Kroger and Walmart received limited amounts of the vaccine to administer to seniors but appointments are fully booked at their Grand Strand locations. They periodically open more appointments but, like hospitals, are at the mercy of the supply they receive.
State health officials announced a new phone line to help seniors make appointments earlier this month. The number is 866-365-8110.
Few hospitals in the area are offering phone numbers for seniors to call. Conway Medical Center said only people without access to computers or the internet should call 843-234-7393, and that there are a limited number of people who can help schedule an appointment.
The hospital has more than 20,000 requests for appointments and said registering online is faster and easier.
Doctors Care locations have also started making appointments through the CDC’s Vaccine Administration Management System, which people need to register for. Some Veterans Affairs clinics in the Grand Strand are calling members who are eligible for the vaccine to schedule appointments but are not taking outside appointments until their supply increases.
Spread hasn’t stopped
As the number of people vaccinated continues to increase, the virus’ spread hasn’t stopped. In Horry County, 860 cases were reported in the last week. The county is also coming off of its deadliest month since the pandemic began, with 78 deaths reported in January. Across the county, 377 people have died of the coronavirus since mid-March last year.
Georgetown County has recorded 3,947 cases and 90 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, DHEC data show.
The current spread is a reminder that we’re not out of the woods and the pandemic isn’t over just yet. Hospital officials urged residents to wear masks, follow guidance from health officials and be mindful of social distancing even as the vaccines become more available.
Links
DHEC Vaccination Locator: This is the best place to start a search for a vaccine appointment. https://vaxlocator.dhec.sc.gov/
Conway Medical Center--https://www.conwaymedicalcenter.com/70vaccines/
Tidelands Health --https://www.tidelandshealth.org/vaccine/
Grand Strand Hospital --https://mygrandstrandhealth.com/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine-information/
Publix: Appointments for vaccines at the supermarket are fully booked according to their website. This may change and officials said to monitor the website for any changes. https://www.publix.com/covid-vaccine/south-carolina
Kroger - Appointments at this chain are also fully booked according to the website. This may change and officials said to monitor the website for any changes. https://www.kroger.com/rx/guest/get-vaccinated
Walmart --Horry County locations are not to be taking appointments anymore according to their website. This may change and officials said to monitor the website for any changes. https://www.walmart.com/cp/1228302
Doctor Care -- https://doctorscare.com/covid19-vaccine/
VA Clinic --https://www.charleston.va.gov/patients/eligibility.asp
