The 1st covid vaccine will go to health care givers including physicians, nurses, medical students and residents and staff of nursing homes.

The Department of Health and Environmental Control said it expects up to 300,000 initial doses by the end of the year. T

he federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will follow with 2nd doses required for the vaccine.

These must begiven a few weeks later, said Stephen White, SC’s immunization director.

Limited availability means the state had to plot which groups will 1st receive the vaccine based on their likelihood of contracting and dying from the virus. 

Health officials say they are confident they will have enough supplies for all South Carolinians who want to receive the vaccine next year.

Gov. Henry McMaster said the 2nd half of the 1st phase will include people living in settings such as d homeless shelters, prisons and jails and food processing plantrs and utilities employees.

The governor said others included will be those aged 75 and older and people with 2 or more underlying health conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease.

Read the full DHEC vaccination plan, click here.

To be prioritized in the state’s 2nd phase will be pharmacists, K-12 school employees, child care workers and food delivery workers.

The governor once again said he had no plans for shutdownsl.

“When you close down a business, you’re killing that business,” he said.

The vaccine plan comes as virus cases again rose sharply in South Carolina, straining hospitals and health care workers..

Officials say getting the vaccine does not eliminate need to practice social distancing, mask-wearing and other public health measures until a significant portion of the population is vaccinated.