Can SC and NC residents cross the border for the COVID-19 vaccine? What we know.
Residents in and around York, Lancaster and Mecklenburg counties commonly cross the North Carolina-South Carolina border for work, shopping, dining — and of course, Carowinds. But as both states start to move ahead with vaccinating members of the general public, can residents do the same for the coronavirus vaccine?
The short answer is: yes.
South Carolina residents can get vaccinated in North Carolina, and vice versa.
Monday, South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control and the governor’s office announced, beginning Wednesday, any South Carolina resident 70 or older regardless of health status and preexisting conditions can start scheduling an appointment for the coronavirus vaccine.
And a week prior, North Carolina moved into Phase 1b, deeming those who are 75 or older eligible to receive the vaccine. And so far, Charlotte hospitals systems Atrium Health and Novant Health have already vaccinated hundreds of people in that group.
Neither state requires proof of residency. However, residents of the Carolinas (or any other state) can’t just show up to a doctor’s office requesting a vaccine. They must make an appointment.
“Non-permanent residents who are living in South Carolina at the time when they would be eligible to receive vaccine can be vaccinated here,” South Carolina’s DHEC said on its website. “Currently, there isn’t a need for proof of residency in order to receive the vaccine.”
The two states are not vaccinating the same populations at the same time, so it’s important for residents to keep up with the states’ current distribution phases, officials said.
“A provider cannot refuse to vaccinate someone that presents for vaccination if they fall into the open prioritization phase and do not have a vaccine contradiction,” North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Catie Armstrong told The Herald in a statement.
How to get a vaccine appointment in SC
In an effort to speed up South Carolina’s vaccination process, DHEC set a Jan. 15 deadline, requiring Phase 1a individuals (health care workers and first responders) or their employers to set up a vaccine appointment by that date.
DHEC officials initially estimated that the state will remain in Phase 1a through January and February, and will not transition into its Phase 1b, which includes those 75 or older, until “late winter,” DHEC officials said last week. Now, officials have revised its criteria for when it will move to the next phase.
The state agency has faced scrutiny for the pace at which vaccines have been rolled out, which, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is among the slowest of all states.
As of Monday, South Carolina has administered 86,742 of the 147,200 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that it’s received, according to DHEC.
Now, residents 70 or older can request an appointment starting Wednesday, but when residents will be able to receive their first dose varies by location, DHEC’s interim director of public health Brannon Traxler said during a briefing Monday.
“It is important to remember that we still have limited vaccine here at the beginning,” Traxler said. “But each week, we are receiving more and more vaccine and we’re bringing more and more locations on board to help provide it. So, if you are not successful in getting an appointment initially, just keep trying and you’ll get your appointment.”
Residents will need to provide a driver’s license or other form of identification to confirm their age, DHEC said. Those eligible to receive a vaccine can use DHEC’s newly released online locator tool to find a provider near them, or call the agency’s Care Line at 1-855-472-3432.
How to get one in NC
North Carolina has broken its Phase 1b into three groups, which will not all be vaccinated at once, officials said.
The state’s first group, which is currently eligible for the vaccine, includes those who 75 or older regardless of health status. The second group includes health care workers with in-person patient contact and front line essential workers who are 50 years or older — including firefighters, police officers, teachers, grocery store employees and U.S. Postal Service workers. And the third one includes those of any age in the second group.
Similar to DHEC, North Carolina’s health department details information on its website on how to find vaccine providers in various counties.
Atrium, which serves multiple locations across the Carolinas, is requiring eligible patients to register and schedule an appointment due to supply and storage requirements, Atrium’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Gary Little said in a media briefing last week.
If a South Carolina resident meets the criteria to get vaccinated, that resident can schedule an appointment at Atrium in North Carolina, an Atrium spokesperson confirmed for The Herald.
“We are requiring that registration and an appointment, so that we can be prepared with the resources we need to get the public vaccinated, Little said. “We want to make sure we’ve got enough vaccine on hand, make sure we spread out the number of people over the course of the day, so that we don’t have bottlenecks.”
As of Monday, “tens of thousands of people” have signed up for an Atrium appointment, and the hospital system continues to schedule more, according to a press release.
The hospital expanded its Phase 1b effort Monday, opening vaccine sites at three more locations across the state. Patients can receive a vaccine at Atrium Health Cabarrus, Atrium Health Lincoln and Atrium Health Union, according to a press release.
Although vaccine supplies are limited, health officials have insisted that the goal is to vaccinate everyone — whether they’re from North Carolina or South Carolina.
“We have been told by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services that we will receive more COVID-19 vaccines as we continue to administer them to teammates and to the community,” Little told The Herald in a statement. “If South Carolina residents are vaccinated in North Carolina, it is still working towards the end goal of getting everyone in our community vaccinated against COVID and ending this deadly pandemic.”
What about the second dose?
Both coronavirus vaccines currently available require two doses, and although those in the Carolinas have the ability to cross the border for the vaccine, officials urged that residents should try to get both doses in the same place.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires two shots separated by 21 days. While, the Moderna vaccine requires the doses to be separated by 28 days.
“We certainly encourage people to get their second dose at the same place they got their first dose for logistical reasons, including the fact that you have to get the same brand for that second, as you did for the first,” Traxler said Monday.
If a resident does run into a situation where they have to get the second shot in a different state, it’s important that the shots come from the same brand, Traxler said. With both doses, the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are 94%-95% effective.
This story was originally published January 12, 2021 at 7:52 AM with the headline "Can SC and NC residents cross the border for the COVID-19 vaccine? What we know.."
