A mayor is suspended in Germany for being vaccinated against the coronavirus without being a priority

The mayor of the German city of Halle, Bernd Wiegand, was suspended from his duties by the municipal council for having been vaccinated in January against the coronavirus without being part of the priority population.

A majority of 34 of the 48 councilors voted on Wednesday night, in a special municipal council, the temporary suspension of the mayor of Halle, a town in the state of Saxony Anhalt, in the center of Germany.

The 64-year-old mayor received a dose in January, while access to the vaccine was reserved in Germany for older people.

Wiegand, currently on vacation and absent Wednesday night from the council meeting, explained that he had been vaccinated to prevent the remaining doses from being wasted.

But their explanations varied over time regarding this vaccination, revealed several weeks later.

Wiegand had claimed that he had benefited from a lottery.

City staff also had access to vaccines without being a priority, which the mayor tried to keep secret, according to the first elements of an investigation by the Halle prosecutor’s office.

The councilors also received vaccinations ahead of time. They have since apologized.