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On January 19th, I hosted a live, one-hour program with a panel of experts about the distribution of the coronavirus vaccines here in South Carolina.
 
Joining me was Dr. Brannon Traxler, the Interim Director of Public Health at SC DHEC. She answered questions about the availability of vaccines in our area, phases & timelines, how & where to get vaccinated, and what SC DHEC is doing to expedite this process. Also joining me was Dr. Arash Poursina, who practices medicine at Infectious Disease Specialists of Piedmont. He spoke about the vaccines from a medical standpoint.
 
Video timestamps for various questions can be found below.  To jump to that particular question in the video, simply fast forward to that minute and second mark.
  
1:10 - Where are we right now (January 19th) with distribution of the vaccines in South Carolina?
  
6:23 - How are the vaccines sent to South Carolina being distributed?
  
8:20 - What are some of the problems people are having trying to get an appointment?
  
10:08 - Is South Carolina getting our fair share of vaccines from the federal government?
  
11:43 - How can private healthcare providers get their vaccines?
 
13:56 - How many doses of the vaccines will South Carolina continue to receive?
 
14:35 - How do phases work for vaccinations in South Carolina? Who is in each phase?
 
16:56 - How far away are we from having widespread availability of the vaccine?
 
18:04 - What other information does SC DHEC want people to know about vaccines?
 
18:50 - Do people set up an appointment for a vaccine with DHEC or with a healthcare provider?
 
20:39 - Is there any coordination available for individuals who cannot travel?
 
22:46 - Are there any independent pharmacies that have received the vaccines?
 
24:25 - How many vaccines are currently in use and in development?
 
25:11 - What happens if your second dose is received late or missed?
 
26:36 - Why are there two doses? And what's the difference between the 1st and 2nd dose?
 
27:32 - Caller: I'm at high risk and having trouble getting the vaccine.
 
31:17 - After 2nd dose, how long until the vaccine becomes fully effective?
 
31:56 - Is the vaccine free? Is there any cost?
 
33:11 - If someone is vaccinated, can they still contract and spread COVID? Or does it just reduce symptoms?
 
34:45 - What are some of the possible reactions & side effects to the vaccines?
 
37:12 - If you have a choice, is one brand of vaccine recommended over another?
 
38:30 - How effective are the vaccines so far?
 
40:00 - Is there anyone who should NOT receive a vaccine?
 
42:21 - Are there any vaccines trials for high risk patients?
 
44:49 - If someone has COVID symptoms, should he/she wait to get vaccinated?
 
45:49 - Caller question about large scale vaccination sites
 
47:28 - Why do some people have more of a reaction to the 2nd dose versus the 1st?
 
49:25 - How long does the vaccine last once you receive both doses?
 
50:32 - If someone already had COVID, can they contract it again and spread it to others?
 
51:15 - What is "natural immunity"?
 
52:50 - What is "herd immunity" and how long until we're at that point?
 
54:58 - If you have a mild case of COVID, are your antibodies weaker?
 
55:28 - What are we seeing with new variants of COVID?
 
57:46 - After vaccination, do we still need to take precautions?