| Opinion: SC government has 'bungled' COVID vaccine rollout John Warren As South Carolinians seek access to the COVID-19 vaccine, our state ranks near the bottom for vaccine distribution and availability. South Carolina is even behind notoriously mismanaged states like New York, which bungled its response to the pandemic.
There is no question that South Carolina’s state leaders failed us. The phone number that was distributed by the state government for people to call to make an appointment crashed. Hospitals were given conflicting guidance from state leaders on who should receive the vaccine first – less than one week before vaccinations were supposed to be available to the public.
And to top it off, according to CDC data, South Carolina was given fewer vaccines per capita than any other state in the nation – and where, unlike Michigan and California, our elected leaders didn’t needlessly antagonize President Trump for political purposes.
John Warren is a Greenville businessman and served in the United States Marine Corps, earning the rank of captain. A former candidate for SC governor, he is honorary chairman of South Carolina’s Conservative Future. Learn more at www.scconservativefuture.com. South Carolina had months to prepare. By the middle of November, the nation knew that vaccine distribution was imminent.
West Virginia didn’t play South Carolina in football this year, but it has run circles around our state when it comes to getting the vaccine into people’s arms. Its governor, Jim Justice, said, "A lot of governors sat on their hands trying to come up with a system or a formula of what they were going to do. We didn't sit on our hands. We acted.”
West Virginia brought together pharmacies, local health departments, and even the National Guard to organize and plan an effective distribution plan. By the time the vaccine was ready for distribution, West Virginia was ready.
More:Nearly 18% of phase 1a South Carolinians have received their first dose vaccination
In South Carolina, state leaders were still trying to figure out who was in charge. As a result, West Virginia has now provided the vaccine to three times the number of citizens per capita compared with the Palmetto State.
In moments of crisis, government is supposed to protect its citizens. In our current COVID-19 crisis, South Carolina’s leaders have proven Ronald Reagan correct when he said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help."
In March and April of 2020, state government shut down small businesses and contributed to the economic situation we’re in now. In January of 2021, state government has bungled the rollout of the vaccine that is supposed to help us get back to normal quickly. The mission was perfectly clear: Deliver vaccines to the South Carolinians who wanted them as quickly and safely as possible. Despite that clarity, executing the mission proved too difficult a task for South Carolina’s leaders.
Broken phone systems. Unclear communication. Conflicting answers. Poor service. South Carolina’s government should not be run like a cable TV company. And it doesn’t have to be.
John Warren is a Greenville businessman and served in the United States Marine Corps, earning the rank of captain. A former candidate for SC governor, he is honorary chairman of South Carolina’s Conservative Future. Learn more at www.scconservativefuture.com. | 
