Dr. Simmer's 2021 Highlight Reel Leading DHEC

Governor Henry McMaster appointed Dr. Simmer to be the director of DHEC in December 2020, followed by the SC Senate confirmation in February 2021.

Here is a highlight reel of over 25 hours of 2021 DHEC board meetings led by Dr. Simmer boiled down in less than 30 minutes. As the Health Director of South Carolina during the COVID pandemic, he spearheaded all vaccination efforts of adults and children, required masks for kids in school against the legislature's efforts to block unconstitutional mask mandates, lied and contradicted himself on the vaccine's effectiveness, and created several incentives to get citizens vaccinated without providing fully informed consent (just to name a few.) Dr. Simmer consistently and constantly pushed the agenda and recommendations of the CDC, and in some cases took the CDC's recommendations to the next level.

On Tuesday, November 19th, 2024, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Dr. Simmer (the previous head of the DHEC) as the Department of Public Health director. This appointment came after the recent split of Department of Health and Environmental Control into two agencies due to Act 60 that became effective July 1st, 2024.

Contact Governor Henry McMaster and your Senator and tell them to NOT confirm Dr. Simmer as the next Director of Public Health.

Timestamps:
00:00:05 - Getting the vac to kids 12 & up. Incentives at fairs, state parks, etc.
00:01:28 - Masking dispute with the governor + masking mandates.
00:02:30 - Working with faith-based organizations to get people vac.
00:03:00 - 2 groups showing hesitancy that need to change: young people/blacks + conservatives. Working with "trusted" community leaders to "get more vacs into those folks."
00:03:40 - Board member suggests creating a competition for counties to see who can get more people vaccinated, whoever wins gets needed equipment. Dr. Simmer says to set up vac tables wherever the people are so they can “getcha”
00:04:30 - Dr. Simmer admits there’s legal constraints so instead looking at partnering with private organizations to give food discount incentives. "Open to almost anything to get people vacs"
00:05:15 - Vac covers variants. If a variant comes out that is not covered, SC has to go back to masks and social distancing.
00:06:00 - “Shot and a chaser” vac campaigns with several SC breweries. Targeting young crowd as the 20-26 year old are the least vaccs “number 1 target right now”
00:07:20 - Educating people that will educate other to get the shot when they otherwise wouldn't.
00:07:40 - Those that took the shot don’t need to wear masks (simmer and the entire board is unmasked for the first time) but unvaccs still need do.
00:08:00 - What DHEC and state legislature is doing to incentivize those who normally don't get shots.
00:09:30 - Train volunteers to go door-to-door to educate. More likely to get someone vac if the info comes from "someone you trust" and not DHEC.
00:10:30 - Financial bonuses to get vaccs, including some hospitals.
00:10:50 - Simmer wants to convince businesses to give employees PTO to get vacc.
00:11:20 - Simmer wants to create vacc incentives that involves targeting multiple people because it's easier to get people to do things in groups rather than alone.
00:11:50 - Board member asks for DHEC to make a statement on racism in order to get more blacks vacc.
00:12:20 - Simmer states that they do have statistics on who nationwide is vacc and is getting COVID. Simmer states that there is a chance of still getting COVID after vaccination. it is less than 1% and most of those cases are mild. no hospitalization.
00:13:40 - Delta variant is susceptible to vacc “if you are fully vaccs you are protected from any...COVID variant.” mention of “much misinformation out there”
00:14:20 - encourages 12 and over to get vaccs.
00:14:40 - rolling out vaccs at fairs, festivals, and most state parks (will give you free entrance)
00:15:15 - If you are fully vaccs (Simmer defines what that means,) you don't have to wear a mask anymore.
00:16:00 - Reviewing info with Dept of Commerce and private groups on businesses requiring the vacc for employees if they employ over 100. About 600,000 of these employees who are unvaccs.
00:17:00 - Can help businesses vacc their employees but not testing.
00:17:50 - Sending board member data on vaccs in hospital.
00:18:20 - #1 way to not get COVID is to get vacc. Encourages kids to get vacc.
00:19:00 - Strongly recommending pregnant women should be vaccinated.
00:19:30 - Science says that vacc is best way to beat COVID, then mask. Best way to protect children. Mandates is a legal open question. Votes on mandating masks, sends to legislature.
00:21:15 - Shots recommended for 5-11 yr olds. Masks required indoors. "more people to vaccs"
00:22:34 - DHEC doesn't ask if vaccs had COVID. Doesn't know what herd immunity is but says "we are getting there."
00:22:40 - 80% hospitalized unvaccs.
00:23:00 - DHEC recommends everyone get boosters and children. Masks indoors.
00:25:00 - Flu and COVID shot. "perfectly safe and effective."
00:25:20 - Only booster helps protect against Omicron.