An unanticipated surplus of COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. State Department set off a frenzied competition for which employees would get protection from the virus first, fueling suspicions among career employees that political loyalists were attempting to jump the line just as they prepared to leave their jobs—prioritizing themselves ahead of career staffers with underlying illnesses.
The State Department vigorously denied it was playing favorites, claiming that it was distributing the vaccines to staffers who were carrying out operations critical to the functioning of America’s diplomatic mission. But the rollout—which has been marked by a frantic rush to identify candidates—infuriated career diplomats in some bureaus who said they were largely kept in the dark until reporters and congressional staff began asking questions.
