S.C. public health officials roll out vaccine system upgrade

COLUMBIA (AP) - As officials make plans for the future dissemination of a coronavirus vaccine, South Carolina's public health department is rolling out a new network to help manage all of the state's vaccine-related information.

In a release Sunday, the Department of Health and Environmental Control said that the Statewide Immunization Online Network would help immunization providers keep track of inventory and give state officials the ability to address coverage rates. Officials said the system would also provide patient reminders and a portal where patients can access their immunization records.

Interim public health director Dr. Brannon Traxler said the upgrade comes at a good time, given the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. On Thursday, public health officials announced that a plan was in the works for distributing a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available, to prioritize high-risk individuals, frontline health care workers and critical infrastructure employees when limited doses of the vaccine first arrive.

Officials also stressed that there is no confirmed date for when such a vaccine will be available to the general public.

As of Sunday, state public health officials had reported more than 129,400 confirmed positive tests for coronavirus in South Carolina and at least 2,915 deaths attributable to COVID-19.