Last Wednesday, South Carolina health officials allowed all residents aged 70 or older, regardless of medical condition, to schedule an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. South Carolina is one of at least 28 states and Washington, D.C., which have begun vaccinating older people, according to the New York Times. While the availability of vaccine appointments has already proven to be limited in just about every state, South Carolina hopes to speed access based on supply and the number of people who choose to receive it. This is welcome news. Based on current data here in the Palmetto State, the death rate is almost twenty times higher for adults 70 and older compared to those under 70. More than two-thirds of COVID-19 deaths in South Carolina have been among those 70 and older.