MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentine health minister resigns over VIP vaccination scandal eroding public trust in the inoculation program
Ginés González García resigned after the existence of a VIP Covid-19 vaccination hall for government officials, friends and family, surfaced. 
Deputy Health minister Carla Vizzotti, will be appointed Minister on Saturday. She is an expert in vaccines Argentina's current Deputy Health minister Carla Vizzotti, will be appointed Minister on Saturday following the Friday resignation of Ginés González García, who had organized at the ministry a VIP Covid-19 vaccination hall for government officials, friends and family.
González García, a surgeon by training and with a long political active career, had been a member of the original cabinet of his close friend, president Alberto Fernandez when he took office in December 2019. He was in charge of the program to purchase the vaccines and organize the immunization campaign starting with sanitary staff, security forces and the over 65, but some Argentines, particularly if they are Kirchnerites, are more equal than others.
However strangely enough the VIP hall to inoculate friends and family, was exposed precisely by a journalist Horacio Verbitsky, also a close friend and supporter of the current Kirchnerite administration, who confessed that although he was skeptical about the effectiveness of the vaccines, after several members of his family tested positive to Covid-19, including one death, and with 79 years old, he decided to call his good old friend González García to ask for guidance, or rather jump the queue.
In effect, as events unfold, allegedly when the first batches of the Sputnik vaccine reached Argentina, some 3,000 doses were left aside to provide for the VIP inoculation. Who was running the scheme and the vaccination calendar was Lisandro Bonelli, 44, Health ministry cabinet chief and nephew of Gines García, and among the first to receive the shots. Quickly it became a mouth to mouth secret among government officials that if you wanted to be vaccinated, “talk to Gines”. At first the scheme worked from the Posadas Hospital, where vice-president Cristina Kirchner and president Alberto Fernandez, both above 65, were filmed while vaccination because the Sputnik Russian vaccine was resisted by a high percentage of the Argentine population. Russian president Putin at the time denied he was going to be vaccinated because the Sputnik had yet to be tested on those 70 and older.
But the VIP hall ended at the ministry and this week together with journalist Verbitsky, ten other privileged officials were given the Sputnik shots, among which a lawmaker, very close friend and advisor of president Fernandez, Eduardo Valdéz, and Senator Jorge Taiana. Apparently they were both asked by the president to be vaccinated and swabbed because they would be part of the delegation of the Argentine leader visit to Mexico as of next Sunday. It was also revealed that previously foreign minister Felipe Sola, 70, had also received first class treatment at the VIP hall.
However it also surfaced that among the famous and privileged to skip the immunization queue, currently suspended in several provinces because of lack of vaccines, was none else than the teamsters union boss Hugo Moyano, his wife and a 20 year old son. Mrs. Lilian Zulet de Moyano is closely linked to the hospital and medical supplies industry, and apparently allegedly had a kind of VIP vaccination branch for her immediate circle. Which if it proves to be correct, as the Argentine media speculates, it would be a serious crime since officially only the Argentine government manages the vaccines and inoculation program.
However last but not least the political contacts and influence of her husband Moyano, is unquestionable, to the extent that he and other members of his family simply ignored several court hearings on accusations of corruption, money laundering, private violence, among others.
In his resignation letter Gines García addressed to president Fernandez, the now ex minister regrets what happened and takes the blame but points out that all those vaccinated belonged to risk groups and the incident was a misunderstanding of his office, since he was outside of Buenos Aires when it happened.
Nevertheless he hopes that the policies he helped implement will be continued and that the vaccination campaign and combating the pandemic will be a success. He thanked the Argentine people and the Fernandez administration for their support and is committed to keep accompanying the government's policies in coordination with the different provinces, even those of different political color.
The fact is that only a year ago when Covid-19 was ravaging and expanding in Europe, Gines García was officially quoted describing the coronavirus as a new flu virus, that he did not expect to reach Argentina. Likewise his optimism as to the number of vaccines that Argentina would receive had to be constantly degraded.
Finally the big question, it is hard to believe that the Deputy Health minister was not aware of what was happening in the ministry and the VIP hall, but Argentine media point out, that although Gines García and Carla Vizzotti are relatives, they had not been in talking terms for some time. Dr. Vizzotti is an expert in vaccines and was responsible for checking and bringing the Russian vaccines from Moscow. This Saturday she was scheduled to again fly to Moscow, but will have to attend her swearing in ceremony.
Politically the whole incident is a blow for the government's policy ahead of the midterm elections next October which was planned on a fair, successful, impeccable national immunization program, plus a V recovery of the economy and another skirmish with the IMF. Besides even more significant public trust in the government's management of the vaccination campaign has been severely eroded.
Likewise it must be mentioned that the organized VIP vaccination hall scandal is not an isolated incident in Argentina, or other countries,, since there have been repeated claims of similar situations in several provinces and vaccination centers. Not to mention the Argentine rich and famous who travelled to Miami to be vaccinated and boasted about in their Facebook and twitter, forcing the Florida officials to amend legislation, particularly on priority definitions.
Top Comments
Disclaimer & comment rules-
-
-
Read all commentsPANDEMIC CRITICALLY CONSIDERED
Feb 20th, 2021 - 02:52 pm +1If I get vaccinated….
– Can I stop wearing the mask?
– Government: No
– Can the restaurants, pubs, bars, etc. reopen and everyone work normally?
– Government: No
– Am I resistant to covid?
– Government: Maybe, but we don’t know for sure…..
– At least I am no longer contagious to others?
– Government: No, you can still pass it on, possibly no one knows.
– If we vaccinate all children, will school go on as normal?
– Government: No
– If I am vaccinated, can I stop social dissociation?
– Government: No
– If I am vaccinated, can I stop disinfecting my hands?
– Government – No
– If I vaccinate myself and my grandpa, can we hug?
– Government: No
– Will movie theaters, theaters and stadiums reopen thanks to vaccines?
– Government: No
– May the vaccinated be able to gather [events; parties].
– Government: No
– What is the real benefit of vaccination?
– Government: The vaccine will not kill you.
– Are you sure it won’t kill me?
– Government: No
– If statistically the virus won’t kill me anyway…. Why should I get vaccinated?”
– Government: To protect others.
– So if I get vaccinated, others are 100% sure I won’t infect them?
– Government: No, we are not sure.
So, to summarize: The COVID19 vaccine….
– Does not give immunity.
– Does not eliminate the virus.
– Does not prevent death.
– Doesn’t guarantee you won’t get it.
– Doesn’t stop you from getting it.
– Does not stop you from passing it on.
– Doesn’t preclude the need for travel bans.
– Doesn’t preclude the need for business closures.
– Doesn’t preclude the need for closures.
– doesn’t preclude the need for concealment.
It is so absurd and I wonder why there are people who let this happen to them.
Saying all that — I’m encouraging everyone to seek being vaccinated, but this entire pandemic has been a comedy of fools!
¡Saludos de Chile!
Estimado THINK
Feb 21st, 2021 - 01:55 pm +1Even now the health experts are predicting herd immunity to be achieved by mid-April and the latest Swedish mortality rates compared to the UK proves Sweden’s refusal to lock down their society was the CORRECT action.
As I’ve mentioned — I’m RECOMMENDING everyone consider taking a COVID-19 immunization vaccine when it becomes available. That includes the Chinese Sinovac which is the most available here in Chile at no cost. (The Russian Sputnik in your country as well.)
Despite testing positive with COVID antibodies — both Madame and I will seek Sinovac vaccination when we’re scheduled.
(Chile has been highly successful in their program and our country has already vaccinated 2,670,139 with the first dose and 55,240 with the second dose.)
All the approved vaccines are helpful in battling this pandemic!
H O W E V E R
What I’m pointing out is in the USA the CDC cannot explain the drop in flu cases from 400,000 last season to only 165 this season.
What nobody in mainstream media and a handful of doctors are willing to acknowledge is the plain and straightforward answer: The flu didn’t disappear. It was merely misdiagnosed as COVID-19, sometimes intentionally and sometimes accidentally. Covid tests have been demonstrated to be inaccurate and the similarity to the flu and the common cold are enough to shift results. And if tests show Covid AND flu, then pretty much every doctor in America is going to label it as a Covid case.
https://noqreport.com/2021/02/19/calling-bs-on-the-alleged-drop-in-flu-cases-from-400000-last-season-to-165-this-season/?utm_source=econ
(Lockdowns were useless as we are learning now!)
G U I L O T E - G Ü E Ó N
Good to see you’ve again crawled out from under your rock!
Knowing your very SPECIAL Argentine character — I again would greatly recommend the knowledgable and quote filled TERESA HILL https://noqreport.com/2021/02/19/calling-bs-on-the-alleged-drop-in-flu-cases-from-400000-last-season-to-165-this-season/?utm_source=econ
You two would make an exceptionally charming pair!
¡Saludos de Chile!
Estimado THINK
Feb 21st, 2021 - 05:12 pm +1With all due respect for your Danish obstinance...
I’m not denying the danger of our current pandemic — but it’s completely obvious the lockdowns were nearly useless. We obviously should have followed Sweden’s example — but it’s now accepted we’ll achieve herd immunity in a few months.
Again — I’m recommending everyone consider taking a voluntary COVID-19 immunization vaccine when it becomes available.
Although Madame and I will be vaccinated with the Sinovac vaccine — no person should be obligated by their government to take any vaccine.
If you carefully read the article you kindly shared from the left-wing gringo FiveThirtyEight site — proves exactly what I’m saying. The world medical experts have been wrong!
As you remember — Swedish death mortality rates are dropping at a rate better than the UK — but Sweden kept their society open while the UK imposed a lockdown. statistics.
(The attached chart is startling clear.)
https://twitter.com/DrEliDavid/status/1362181460887826435?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1362181460887826435%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsummit.news%2F2021%2F02%2F18%2Fno-lockdown-sweden-sees-covid-deaths-plummet-quicker-than-uk%2F
The Center For Disease Control (CDC) cannot explain the drop in flu cases from 400,000 last season to 165 this season.
The flu didn’t disappear. It was merely misdiagnosed as COVID-19, sometimes intentionally and sometimes accidentally.
This insane lockdown lunacy has destroyed far more lives than what it has protected.
The cure has been far worse than the virus itself!
G U I L O T E - G Ü E Ó N
I suggest you receive a Canine Distemper/Parvo Bordetella and Rabies Vaccine at your earliest convenience.
¡Saludos de Chile!
Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!