SC halts J&J vaccinations; Hilton Head clinic plans Pfizer walk-in event Wednesday
South Carolina health officials on Tuesday told coronavirus vaccine providers to temporarily halt the use of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine, joining states across the country in pausing the vaccine’s rollout.
The announcement came after the federal government raised concerns about rare blood clots recorded in six patients who received the vaccine.
The state’s decision won’t have a major impact in Beaufort and Jasper counties. J&J’s vaccine accounted for about 2% of doses administered in Beaufort County as of Tuesday. It represented about 1.7% of doses administered in Jasper County.
There are fewer than 20 local J&J providers, according to DHEC.
“These adverse events appear to be extremely rare,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrote in a Tuesday statement.
More than 6.8 million J&J doses had been administered nationwide as of Monday.
The government, though, recommended that providers still pause their use of the vaccine “out of an abundance of caution” as the CDC and FDA review the cases.
A type of clot called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, or CVST, was identified in six women between the ages of 18 and 48 who had low levels of blood platelets, according to the government. They had previously received J&J’s vaccine.
One of them has died and another is hospitalized in critical condition.
Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said on Tuesday that a J&J vaccine recipient who has a severe headache, shortness of breath, leg pain or abdominal pain within three weeks after getting their dose should contact a doctor.
Vaccine availability
The Volunteers in Medicine Clinic on Hilton Head Island still had 100 Pfizer-BioNTech doses available as of Tuesday afternoon, so it’s opening walk-in access to all residents Wednesday to avoid wasting the vaccines.
The vaccine availability will run from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at 15 Northridge Drive. The event will be first come, first served, according to development coordinator Kayla Westerbaan, unless people schedule an appointment by calling (843) 681-6612 ext. 252.
Inoculation update
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Tuesday reported that only 257 additional Beaufort County residents have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Tuesdays are typically the lowest reporting day of the week for inoculations. The Tuesday data capture shots administered over the weekend.
About 44% of residents who are 15 or older have now received a shot, according to DHEC, and 55.7% of residents have yet to get a dose.
Coronavirus spread, meanwhile, remains low after a winter surge, though health experts are concerned that the United States could face a fourth wave of infections.
Two new coronavirus cases and three probable infections were reported in Beaufort County on Tuesday. No new deaths were announced.
Jasper County recorded four cases and no deaths Tuesday.
Local numbers
COVID-19 inoculation rate for Beaufort County residents as of Sunday (the most recent date for which data are available): 4,421 vaccine recipients per 10,000 residents. That’s the fourth-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: 69,119
Total number of doses administered: 93,903
New first-dose vaccinations announced Tuesday: 257
Percentage of the county’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 44.2%
Statewide numbers
New first-dose vaccinations announced Tuesday: 6,685
Number of residents who have received at least one dose: 1,536,647
Percentage of the state’s 15 and older population who have received at least one dose: 37.4%
Percentage of S.C. residents who have completed vaccination: 23.3%
ZIP code data
Bluffton’s ZIP code of 29910 leads the county with 15,941 vaccinations since late last year. Okatie’s 29909 ZIP code, which includes Sun City Hilton Head, has recorded 13,164 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 11,590 vaccinations. The 29928 ZIP code, covering the southeastern part of the island, has 9,318 vaccinations, according to DHEC.
Beaufort’s 29902 ZIP code has reported 4,876 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
Virus spread in Beaufort County
Seven-day average of new cases: roughly nine per day
Total cases: 14,701 confirmed, according to DHEC
Total deaths: 190 confirmed, according to DHEC
Two-week cumulative incidence rate as of Sunday: 67.1 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.
This story was originally published April 13, 2021 at 3:14 PM.
