By Jerry Bellune 
JerryBellune@yahoo.com
SC officials are frustrated by health officials slow covid vaccine delivery.
2 Lexington County senators – Majority Leader Shane Massey and Sen. Dick Harpootlian – have criticized the Department of Health and Environmental Control’s slow vaccine rollout.
"This has been a disaster," Sen. Massey told the Chronicle.
"The planning was bad. The implementation has been bad. And the communication has been terrible.
"I'm getting many phone calls and emails from frustrated people.
"DHEC is the fall guy.  This task never should have been given to DHEC.  
"The governor screwed this one up."
House Speaker Jay Lucas has appointed Lexington Rep. Chris Wooten and 6 other lawmakers to find ways to get faster action.
Gov. Henry McMaster has threatened to force DHEC to speed up the process.
The governor said the state would no longer adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guideline not to go to the next phase until 70% of the 1st phase is vaccinated.
“We are determined to eliminate the bottlenecks,” the governor said.
Lexington County seniors have written the Chronicle with their concerns.
They find the DHEC-CDC online sign-up frustrating.
They don’t like it that they can’t make a joint appointment with their spouses to get the vaccine together.
And they are outraged about what they think was a secret vaccination for 600 people at the Fairgrounds.
DHEC’s Laura Renwick said, “That’s simply not the case at all. It was held at the fairgrounds with signage so I don’t think that could be considered secretive. 
She said they did not advertise it because it wasn’t open to the public but was a pilot clinic intended for by-appointment-only Phase 1a.
“Many people began showing up. Instead of turning them away, the clinic organizers began diverting those without appointments into a separate line and began to register them if we still had doses available.
“More than 650 people received their shot. Based on this, we’ll make changes for how future large-scale vaccine clinics could be held to ensure a smoother process.  
“Right now, there’s not enough vaccine.”
The Chronicle has asked DHEC about making:
• The sign-up simpler.
• Allowing older spouses to go together for vaccine.
We will let you know how DHEC responds.
If you have concerns, please write us at JerryBellune@yahoo.com