Mexican leader: doctor cut line to get vaccine

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Wednesday that a doctor used his influence to have his family members cut in line for early coronavirus vaccines, despite the fact that the first shots are reserved for front-line health-care workers.

López Obrador said the doctor used "influence" to get the scarce vaccines, and called it "immoral."

He didn't specify what action might be taken against those involved, who were not identified, but said the case was under investigation and would be punished.

Experts have expressed concern that theft, corruption or falsification could affect vaccination efforts in Mexico.

While the army was in charge of the site, it appears there may have been an error in the outside system used to set up appointments for the shot, creating confusion, in part because the vaccine has to be applied quickly after it is opened and unfrozen.

Mexico has received only about 50,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, not nearly enough to cover 1.4 million health care workers, though hundreds of thousands more doses are expected to arrive in coming weeks.

López Obrador said the family included "a doctor, his wife and I think one or two of his daughters."

It was unclear whether the doctor himself would have been eligible to get the vaccine, because he reportedly worked at a hospital treating COVID-19 patients.

But his family clearly was not.

Vaccines are to be given first to health care workers, then to the elderly, those with chronic diseases and teachers, before being made available to the general population.

The incident occurred at a center overseen by the army, which López Obrador has relied on to an unprecedented extent in his drive against corruption and favoritism because it is widely seen as being among the most professional, honest and trusted institutions in the country.

The army's outsized role in running everything from building projects to tree nurseries has raised questions.

And López Obrador said this month the army also will run the a major tourist train project and several airports, using any profits to finance military pensions.

Image credits: AP