Over a dozen Lebanese parliamentarians and five staffers were accused of getting vaccinated out of their turn, causing an uproar and threatening to shut down the vaccination program in the country
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd February, 2021) Over a dozen Lebanese parliamentarians and five staffers were accused of getting vaccinated out of their turn, causing an uproar and threatening to shut down the vaccination program in the country.
The World Bank funded two shipments of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to the country on the condition that the vaccines are distributed fairly without favoritism for the famously corrupt politicians. Fears are mounting that the World Bank may pull the program amid the scandal.
According to the L'Orient Today newspaper, Parliament's secretary-general Adnan Daher confirmed that 16 elderly parliament members were vaccinated out of their turn, but defended the move as approved by the health ministry and the Lebanese Red Cross.
"Their names are on the official platform ... and this [the inoculation] was done in the presence of representatives from the Health Ministry and the Lebanese Red Cross," Daher said defending the move to vaccinate the MPs.
"We vaccinated them so we don't overwhelm hospitals," he said.
Head of the COVID-19 Vaccination Committee, Abdul Rahman Bizri, initially said he would resign after the news broke, but later backtracked and said he would seek clarification over the matter, the newspaper reported.
A list of the lawmakers and staffers vaccinated shows that several are below the age of 75, in contrast to Daher's statement that only the very elderly were vaccinated.
Lebanon's vaccination program, completely dependent on the World Bank's $34 million backing, began earlier this month and was reserved for the country's health care workers and citizens over 75 years of age. Major concerns were voiced throughout that politicians and sectarian leaders may leverage influence to coopt the program and get inoculated out of line.
