Argentina vaccine scandal: President condemns officials for involvement

The president of Argentina has denounced an "unforgivable" COVID-19 vaccine scandal that has led to the resignation of the country's health minister.

Gines Gonzalez Garcia resigned on Friday after reports surfaced that he helped people in the South American country jump in line to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

"Gines was a great minister, and on top of that, I like him. But what he did was inexcusable." President Alberto Fernandez stated in a conversation with the daily Page 12 published Sunday. "Politics is ethical; we need to end these kinds of practices with the Argentine culture of liveliness, cunning [and] the management of influences," Fernandez said.

The president asked Garcia to resign after the scandal erupted.

"In response to your express request, I propose my resignation from the position of Minister of Health," Garcia wrote in a letter addressed to Fernandez shared on social media.

Garcia was replaced by Carla Vizzotti, one of his deputy ministers who secured the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.

Argentina, which has reported nearly two million COVID-19 cases and more than 51,000 coronavirus-related deaths, began its vaccination program in December.

The country gave priority to health workers, and vaccinations for people over 70 began last week in the province of Buenos Aires.

Local media reported the state prosecutor had opened an investigation into the vaccine scandal.

Vizzotti insisted on Sunday that there was no GDP vaccination at all.

She told Radio 10 that the scandal included "a small number of individuals" and no policy to "discuss vaccines." She added that the country would in the future implement a plan to monitor jabs.

Local media say the state prosecutor has opened an investigation into the vaccine scandal.

Vizzotti insisted on Sunday that "by no means was a GDP vaccination."

She told Radio 10 that it involved "a small number of people" and that there was no policy to "reserve vaccines for a privileged situation."

Vizzotti said there would be a plan to monitor the administration of vaccines in the future.

Argentina, a country of 44 million, has so far received 1.2 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine, along with 580,000 doses of COVISHIELD from the Serum Institute of India.

It has recorded more than two million COVID-19 cases and more than 51,000 deaths.