Beaufort County vaccinations rise by another 1,200 on Sunday in fight against COVID
More than 56,000 Beaufort County residents have received at least one dose of the vaccination against COVID-19, as 1,200 more residents got shots, according to new health data released Sunday.
The county has one of the highest vaccination rates per 10,000 residents in South Carolina, according to the S.C. Department of Environmental Health and Control. That rate may be slightly inflated due to a ZIP code-level data issue, The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette previously reported.
Regardless, Beaufort County vaccine providers have been moving quickly through weekly shipments of Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna doses, state data show.
Statewide, nearly 28,000 more S.C. residents received a vaccination dose, according to Sunday totals.
In Beaufort County, local spread of the coronavirus, meanwhile, continues to slow.
Fifteen new confirmed COVID-19 cases and six probable infections were reported in Beaufort County on Sunday. No new confirmed deaths were announced in the county as a result of the virus.
Local numbers
COVID-19 inoculation rate for Beaufort County residents as of Thursday (the most recent date for which data are available): 3,617 vaccine recipients per 10,000 residents. That’s the fourth-highest rate in South Carolina, though it could be inflated to some degree.
Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 56,546
Total number of doses administered: 86,062
New first-dose vaccinations announced Sunday: 1,263
Percentage of the county’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 36.17%
DHEC releases most of its coronavirus vaccine data based on residency. If a Beaufort County resident is vaccinated out of state or in a different S.C. county, they would still be counted in DHEC’s Beaufort County-specific data.
Statewide numbers
New first-dose vaccinations announced Sunday: 27,959
Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 1,220,305
Percentage of the state’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 29.7%
Percentage of S.C. residents who have completed vaccination: 15.9%
ZIP code data
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 leads the county with 12,253 resident vaccinations since late last year.
Okatie’s ZIP code of 29909, which includes Sun City Hilton Head, has 11,888 vaccinations, which is the second-highest figure in the county.
Hilton Head Island’s 29926 ZIP code, covering the north side, has 9,517 vaccinations. The 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 7,849 vaccinations, according to DHEC.
Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has reported 3,889 inoculations.
More information on ZIP code-level vaccination data can be found at the following link online: http://bit.ly/BeaufortCountyVaccines
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910, meanwhile, continues to lead the county with 4,470 coronavirus cases reported in the past year. Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has recorded 2,184 cases since March 2020, which is the second-highest figure in the county.
Hilton Head Island’s 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 1,178 cases. The 29926 ZIP code on the north side has 1,987 cases, according to DHEC data.
Okatie’s 29909 ZIP code has reported 1,146 cases.
Virus spread in Beaufort County
Seven-day average of new cases: 12.1
Total cases: 14,542 confirmed, according to DHEC
Total deaths: 187 confirmed, according to DHEC
Two-week cumulative incidence rate as of Thursday: 101 cases per 100,000 people, a “moderate” rate under DHEC’s definition. An incidence rate measures how quickly a disease is spreading through a given population.
Dr. Scott Curry, an infectious disease specialist at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, has previously said counties should aim to have a two-week incidence rate of less than 50 new cases per 100,000 people.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow we covered this story
Facts about COVID-19 vaccine distribution in South Carolina are changing rapidly. The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette are trying to publish important information as quickly and accurately as possible. This story may be updated if more information becomes available or if facts become clearer.
