Palmetto Health Tuomey vaccine clinic at Sumter County Civic Center to focus on veterans next week

Posted

It's not every day public transportation will come pick you up and take you somewhere for free, but that's exactly what will be happening next week at Sumter County's walk-in COVID-19 vaccine clinic.

The Santee Wateree Regional Transportation Authority is providing free rides to the Sumter County Civic Center for people to get their COVID-19 vaccine. While the clinic, run by Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital, is open Monday-Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. to the public, a special focus will be put on getting veterans to get vaccinated against the coronavirus between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. May 10-14.

"We just want to encourage all our vets to get their shots, so we're doing everything we can to get them out there," said Valerie Brunson, Sumter County Veterans Affairs director. "A lot of our veterans have gotten it, so they'll be out there to talk with people."

For those who haven't been vaccinated yet, Brunson said she sees a combination of a few factors, including hesitancy or distrust of vaccines or medical providers, lack of transportation and complacency.

To encourage area veterans to get their shot - Brunson said she doesn't have counts of how many have or haven't, but there are more than 16,000 veterans living in Sumter County, about half of whom receive VA benefits - they will be making hot dogs outside and offering free food and drinks to people on their way out. Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity members, many of whom are veterans, will be there to talk with people, and the Columbia Vet Center will have counselors and its mobile mental health RV on hand all week.

Other groups that will have representatives available include Sumter County Veterans Affairs, the Columbia Regional VA office and Sumter Combat Vets.

More than 8,400 South Carolinians have died from COVID-19. About 33% of the state's residents are completely vaccinated. In Sumter County, more than 21,500 people have completed vaccination, and nearly 30,000 have received at least one dose.

"The thing with veterans, they'll listen to other veterans," Brunson said. "They'll sit and tell stories. We want to make a day out of it, not just go get your shot and leave."

Brunson said the vet-focused clinic was born out of a partnership between Sumter City Councilman Jim McCain, county council, Sumter County Government, SWRTA, the Sumter Combat Veterans Group and Tuomey.

Prisma Health distributes the Pfizer vaccine at the civic center, which requires two shots. Two of the three brands approved for use in the U.S. require two shots.

Call SWRTA to set up free transportation to the civic center, which is located at 700 W. Liberty St., at (803) 934-0396.