Dozens of medical residents and fellows from Stanford University’s affiliated hospital staged a protest Friday after being diverted to the back of the COVID-19 vaccination line – leading red-faced administrators to admit the rollout had “flaws.”
“First in the room, back the line!” residents and fellows chanted during a protest at the Bay Area hospital, Stanford Medical.
“We came here after hearing that only seven of the 1,349 residents had been selected for the first wave of vaccinations,” third-year resident Charles Marcus told NBC during the protest.
The hospital quickly apologized.
“Our intention was to roll out an ethical and fair plan for the entire organization, and there were flaws in that plan that we are actively trying to fix,” administrators said in a statement.
“We recognize the disappointment and distress this has caused, and we appreciate those who have brought these concerns to us,” the statement said.
“We immediately revise our plan to better sequence the distribution of the vaccine.”
Nurses, therapists, janitors and food personnel can also make short work of it, protesters told the station.
“We’re seeing all these people who should be part of the first wave of people getting access to vaccines, and they’re telling us they aren’t,” said Angela Primbus, a third-year resident of internal medicine.