417 more Beaufort Co. residents have received a COVID-19 vaccine, DHEC says Wednesday
State health officials on Wednesday reported that another 417 Beaufort County residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control also reported that an average of 926 county residents per day got a first shot in the past week, though DHEC releases its vaccine data on a two-day delay.
About 37.2% of county residents who are 15 or older have now received a dose, according to DHEC, and 62.7% of residents have yet to get a shot.
Coronavirus spread, meanwhile, remains low after a winter surge, though health experts are concerned that the United States could soon face a fourth wave of infections.
DHEC data show that daily case counts in South Carolina began to plateau about three weeks ago.
Three new coronavirus cases and four probable infections were reported in Beaufort County on Wednesday. No new deaths were announced.
Jasper County recorded zero cases and no deaths Wednesday.
Local numbers
COVID-19 inoculation rate for Beaufort County residents as of Monday (the most recent date for which data are available): 3,725 vaccine recipients per 10,000 residents. That’s the fifth-highest rate in South Carolina, though it could be inflated to some degree due to a ZIP code-level data issue.
Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 58,241
Total number of doses administered: 76,424
New first-dose vaccinations announced Wednesday: 417
Seven-day average of new first-dose vaccinations: 926 per day
Percentage of the county’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 37.2%
Biggest vaccinator: Beaufort Memorial Hospital, which has administered 18,188 first Pfizer-BioNTech doses since mid-December
Statewide numbers
New first-dose vaccinations announced Wednesday: 15,232
Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 1,266,539
Percentage of the state’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 30.8%
Percentage of S.C. residents who have completed vaccination: 16.7%
ZIP code data
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 now leads the county with 12,848 vaccinations since late last year. Okatie’s 29909 ZIP code, which includes Sun City Hilton Head, has recorded 12,028 resident inoculations, which is the second-highest figure in the county (though that may be an overcount).
Hilton Head Island’s 29926 ZIP code, covering the north side, has 9,784 vaccinations. The 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 8,032 vaccinations, according to DHEC.
Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has reported 3,999 inoculations.
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 ZIP code data.
More information on ZIP code-level vaccine 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 4,480 coronavirus cases reported in the past year. Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has recorded 2,188 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 1,180 cases. The 29926 ZIP code on the north side has 1,990 cases, according to DHEC data.
Okatie’s 29909 ZIP code has reported 1,150 cases.
Virus spread in Beaufort County
Seven-day average of new cases: 11.2 per day
Total cases: 14,565 confirmed, according to DHEC
Total deaths: 187 confirmed, according to DHEC
Two-week cumulative incidence rate as of Monday: 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.
