Coronavirus: Peru ministers resign over secret shots, university denies ex-president part of Sinopharm vaccine trial
- Peru’s health and foreign ministers resign, ex-president responds to claims he received coronavirus shot out of turn
- Vaccine being used in Peru was developed by Chinese company Sinopharm
Peru’s Foreign Minister Elizabeth Astete on Sunday resigned amid an uproar over government officials being secretly vaccinated against the coronavirus before the country recently received doses from China’s Sinopharm for health workers facing a resurgence in the pandemic.
Just a day earlier, President Francisco Sagasti said he accepted the resignation of Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti due to a scandal over former president Martin Vizcarra having also received an early vaccination.
Vizcarra, who was ousted by Congress in November over corruption allegations, has said he did not jump the line to receive the vaccination, but rather that he got it as part of a trial.
Astete, who had held her post since November, said she was inoculated on January 22 after receiving an offer from the Peruvian university Cayetano Heredia, in charge of the trials, to receive the Sinopharm vaccine from a “remnant lot” of the tests.
“I am aware of the serious mistake I made, which is why I decided not to receive the second dose,” she said through Twitter. “For the reasons stated, I have presented my letter of resignation to the president.”