After the news broke that a top military chief in Spain jumped the queue to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the commander was left with no choice but to step down.
Last month, Spain’s Chief-of-Staff, General Miguel Angel Villarroya, resigned amid allegations that he and other high-ranking officers received the vaccine.
Sparking public anger, this action was in violation of the country’s vaccination strategy that was prioritizing medical workers and residents in nursing homes.
According to Euronews, Villarroya said he made the decision to step down to protect the image of the armed forces and not damage it. But he was not alone in using his position to break the rules and jump the queue.
“Several public officials have jumped the vaccine queue in recent weeks despite not belonging to priority [immunization] groups. They included a regional health chief for southeast Murcia, who also resigned,” reported the same source.
This is interesting in light of recent events in Lebanon, where Lebanese parliamentarians jumped the queue to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and the health minister defends it.
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