Senator ALEXANDER proposed the following amendment (DG\3707C004.NBD.DG21):
Amend the joint resolution, as and if amended, by striking SECTIONS 5 and 6 and inserting:
/ SECTION5. A. (A)Beginning fourteen days after the effective date of this joint resolution, all first dose vaccines received by the state which have not already been set for distribution must be allocated to the four DHEC public health regions in a per-capita manner with considerations taken into account for factors including, but not limited, to poverty level, infection rates, age, and high-risk populations. From the funds appropriated in this act or from other COVID-19 related appropriations, MUSC shall coordinate with DHEC and partner with local healthcare providers to ensure that gaps in statewide vaccination delivery are covered, with priority given to rural and underserved areas.
(B) DHEC shall allocate first dose vaccines so that they are distributed in a manner that ensures that each of its four public health regions shall receive a per-capita allocation, as described in subsection (A). In making allocations to specific vaccine providers, DHEC shall consider the recommendations of its COVID-19 Vaccine Regional Advisory Panels, one of which shall be established in each of the four public health regions as follows:
(1) The Director of DHEC shall appoint the following to each panel:
(a) one member representing a rural hospital designated by the South Carolina Hospital Association;
(b) one member representing an urban hospital designated by the South Carolina Hospital Association;
(c) one member designated by the South Carolina Medical Association;
(d) one member designed by the South Carolina Office of Rural Health;
(e) one member designated by the South Carolina Primary Health Care Association;
(f) one member designated by the South Carolina Pharmacy Association;
(g) one member designated by the South Carolina Retail Association;
(h) one member from the Alliance for a Healthier South Carolina;
(i) one nonvoting member designated by DHEC; and
(j) one nonvoting member designated by MUSC.
Within five days of the effective date of this joint resolution, the designating organizations shall submit the names of recommended designees to DHEC.
(2) Each panel shall meet weekly initally, but this frequency may be reduced by the chairman of the panel with DHEC's consent.
(3) At its first meeting, each panel shall select a chairman from among its members, who shall preside over the panel's meetings. This chairman must have extensive healthcare experience within the panel's designated region. In the event of a future vacancy, the chair shall be filled in this same manner.
(4) Based upon the region's vaccine allocation provided by the department, the panel shall adopt a specific recommendation for allocating first dose vaccines to providers and review the plan at subsequent meetings. This recommendation must be transmitted to DHEC, on a form created by the department, immediately upon initial adoption and upon subsequent revision and must be based upon the following priorities:
(a) Rural and underserved communities must have equitable access to receive the COVID-19 vaccine;
(b) Available vaccines must be administered to South Carolinians as rapidly as possible, to ensure that no doses are permitted to expire, and to position South Carolina favorably in the event that any future federal allocations to states may be based in part upon a state's ability to expeditiously administer the vaccine;
(c) Each panel must consider which providers are best equipped to handle specific manufacturers' forms of the vaccine, such as those requiring ultra-cold storage; and
(d) Panels' recommendations must be informed by their review of the most current and comprehensive data available as to how vaccines have already been administered within their regions, including how the vaccination rate varies by geography, race, age, income, or other relevant factors.
(C) Notwithstanding any other provision of this joint resolution, DHEC may retain up to five percent of each weekly dose allocation in inventory to maximize its ability to quickly and efficiently respond to changes in need throughout the week.
B. This SECTION terminates and is no longer effective when the Director of the Department of Health and Environmental Control determines that the demands for the vaccine no longer exceed the supply of the vaccine.
SECTION6. A. (A) Beginning fourteen days after the effective date of this joint resolution, the Department of Health and Environmental Control shall provide a daily report, detailing:
(1) the total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses in inventory as of that day;
(2) the total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses received that day itemized by manufacturer;
(3) the total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses that the State is presently eligible to receive but has not yet drawn, itemized by manufacturer.
(4) the total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses in inventory as of that day that are intended to be administered as a first dose and the number that are intended to be administered as a second dose; and
(5) the total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses that are distributed or redistributed to each administering entity that day, itemized by manufacturer.
The daily report also shall provide a cumulative report detailing the same.
(B) DHEC also shall tabulate the reports required by subsection (C), and include in the daily report required by subsection (A), the cumulative total of vaccines administered. The cumulative totals of vaccines administered also must be shown, numerically and graphically, as a percentage of the State as a whole, and demonstrate how many more vaccines must be given until the next category of individuals are eligible for the vaccine. The cumulative totals of vaccines administered also must be shown, numerically and graphically by the zip code of the patient.
(C) Each administering entity shall provide a daily report to the Department of Health and Environmental Control detailing:
(1) the total number of COVID-19 vaccine doses in inventory as of that day, itemized by manufacturer;
(2) the total number of COVID-19 vaccines administered that day;
(3) the total number of upcoming appointments for a COVID-19 vaccine scheduled as of that day; and
(4) the total number of COVID-19 vaccines administered that day as a first dose and the number administered that day as a second dose, if applicable.
The daily report also shall provide a cumulative report for the entity detailing the same.
An administering entity may satisfy the reporting requirements of this subsection, subject to DHEC approval, if it makes such information available through the Vaccine Administration Management System or another existing reporting mechanism approved by DHEC.
(D) Each administering entity also must establish a tracking process to ensure that individuals either receive their first and second dose from the same entity or receive information necessary for obtaining their second dose from another entity.
(E) The reports required by this section must be posted daily on the department's website.
B.This SECTION terminates and is no longer effective when South Carolina is no longer under a declared public health emergency concerning COVID-19. /