Myrtle Beach hospitals urge patience as vaccine eligibility opened to people 65 and over
South Carolinians aged 65 and over will be eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine Monday morning, leaving local hospitals to once again adapt to increased demand and add to waiting lists that are already thousands long.
S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster and the Department of Health and Environmental Control announced the expansion of vaccine eligibility last week, now including those 65-69 in phase 1A of the state’s vaccination plan. Nearly a quarter of Horry County’s residents are 65 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
With long wait lists, patience is key
Tidelands Health and Conway Medical Center have both distributed more than 10,000 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and have waiting lists with around 20,000 people, according to spokespeople from both health care groups. It’s been difficult to secure a vaccine appointment even without the latest expansion of eligibility, but health care professionals preach patience.
“We’ve asked for this from the beginning, we just ask for patience,” said Allyson Floyd, a spokesperson at Conway Medical Center. “We are getting through our waiting list just as quickly as we possibly can.”
The vaccines are being distributed as quickly as possible, Tidelands chief operating officer Gayle Resetar said, but the speed depends on how many doses are given.
“The only variable that’s keeping this from moving faster is the availability of vaccine that arrives to these vaccination sites,” Resetar said, adding that she hopes the amount of vaccine increases as more companies have their formula approved and administered.
Tidelands waited to open the appointments to the new group of people until Monday morning and Grand Strand Medical Center is still working through the 70-and-over age group before opening up vaccine appointments to those 65-69. But Conway Medical Center allowed people 65+ to start scheduling appointments last week. In the first 24 hours, more than 3,500 people requested appointments, though some could have been eligible already, according to Floyd.
“We definitely saw a bump in the number of requests and I would say a great majority of them were 65- through 69-year-olds,” Floyd said.
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.
For some, getting a vaccine appointment has been a ‘nightmare’
For some Horry County residents, expanding the vaccine eligibility only makes the process more confusing and overwhelming. Gary Coon and his wife live near Conway and are both over the age of 70. After being put on multiple waiting lists, they’ve been scheduled for their first dose Feb. 12, he said. It took more than three weeks of being on the list at Conway Medical Center to get an appointment, he said.
“Time keeps going by and we keep trying and trying other places and have come up empty except for this situation,” he said.
Coon said he lives in a small community with around 40 families, most in their late 60s and 70s, and said he only knows one couple who had secured a vaccine appointment before him.
“It’s just been a nightmare,” he said. “And this morning ... I see the governor is opening it up to age group 65 and older starting Monday and the logic of it is, in my mind: How can you open it up to another age group, when you can’t even take care of 70 and up?”
S.C. Senator Greg Hembree, who represents Horry and Dillon counties, said he understands the frustration residents face. While some are traveling to other counties or even other states to get the vaccine, he said getting a vaccine takes persistence and people should take the first appointment they can get.
DHEC has been operating under an interim director through much of the pandemic, but a new director was approved this week. Hembree said he’s hopeful some increased stability in the department could improve the vaccine rollout and he’s thankful the Senate acted quickly to approve Dr. Edward Simmer, the new director.
“It might be the most important thing we’ve done all year, because that agency has been with an interim director at this most critical time,” Hembree said. “And that was huge. We moved it much faster than we typically move confirmations because of this situation.”
Tracking the virus’ spread in Horry County and the surrounding area
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 shows.
The current spread is a reminder that we’re not out of the woods and the pandemic isn’t over just yet. Resetar urged residents to wear masks, follow guidance from health officials and be mindful of social distancing even as the vaccines become more available.
