Governor rails at the president’s door-to-door vaccines

Governor Henry McMaster called on the S.C. Board of Health and Environmental Control today to “issue direction to agency leadership and to state and local healthcare organizations prohibiting the use of the Biden Administration’s ‘targeted’ ‘door to door’ tactics in the State’s ongoing vaccination efforts.”

“A South Carolinian’s decision to get vaccinated is a personal one for them to make and not the government’s,” Governor McMaster wrote. “Enticing, coercing, intimidating, mandating, or pressuring anyone to take the vaccine is a bad policy which will deteriorate the public’s trust and confidence in the State’s vaccination efforts.”

The governor continued: “The prospect of government vaccination teams showing up unannounced or unrequested at the door of ‘targeted’ homeowners or on their property will further deteriorate the public’s trust and could lead to potentially disastrous public safety consequences.”

There was quick reaction from the director of DHEC.  Dr. Edward Simmer said, “DHEC has been in communication with the Governor’s Office after receiving a copy of his letter earlier today.  DHEC’s vaccine outreach efforts have not and will not include unsolicited door-to-door visits.  DHEC does offer in-home vaccines through our homebound vaccination program, but only if specifically requested in advance by the person being vaccinated.  We appreciate the Governor’s concern for the wellbeing of all South Carolinians.  DHEC continues to strongly encourage all eligible South Carolinians to get fully vaccinated to protect themselves and our communities from the ongoing threat of COVID-19 that continues to take lives every day.  We continue to focus on making lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines as accessible as possible across the state.”