VANCOUVER -- A B.C. doctor is speaking out on social media about the provincial health officer receiving one of the first vaccines for COVID-19.
Dr. Bonnie Henry was given the shot on Tuesday, though the province has said its first vaccines would go to front-line health-care workers.
The decision prompted discussions among many, some of whom feel Henry's decision may encourage others who might otherwise be hesitant to get the vaccine.
But a doctor based in Cranbrook was critical of Henry skipping the line.
Dr. James Heilman vented his frustration in a series of posts on Twitter, saying it is "incredibly disappointing" to see people "jumping the queue."
"These people have the luxury to (self-isolate) / socially distance, a luxury not available to front line health workers."
Heilman urged provincial officials not to let those with political connections get advantages.
"Have we really sunk this low as a people? How do we hold these individuals accountable? While these folks decide how much risk the rest of us are exposed to… they make their own escape. I guess we are no longer in this together."
Also among those whom Heilman may consider politically connected is Dr. Richard Stanwick, the chief medical officer of Island Health. He was vaccinated the same day as Henry.
More than 4,000 people in B.C. have been vaccinated in the first week, but Henry and Stanwick were among the first in Victoria.
Meanwhile, the general public has been asked to be patient, and paramedics told CTV News they aren't sure where they fit in to the province's plan, and if they will be among the first to get the vaccine.
In an email to CTV News Tuesday, the province's health ministry said no elected officials have been vaccinated in B.C. so far.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Sheila Scott and David Molko
