Former Catalan health leaders are on trial for allegedly delaying Covid vaccinations for national police and civil guards. Prosecutors seek 12-year bans from office, citing unequal treatment compared to regional forces.
Barcelona’s Audiencia Provincial has opened a high-profile trial against former Catalan health minister Alba Vergés and three senior officials from her pandemic team, including her successor Josep Maria Argimon. The case centers on accusations that, during the Covid-19 vaccination campaign, they deliberately postponed immunization for Policía Nacional and Guardia Civil officers, while prioritizing regional Mossos d'Esquadra and local police. Prosecutors allege this amounted to unlawful discrimination and are seeking 12-year bans from public office for all four defendants.
The prosecution claims that on March 24, 2021, the health department leadership jointly decided to halt the vaccination program for national police and civil guards, despite prior agreements to begin immunizations from March 15. Evidence cited includes an internal message from a member of Vergés’s cabinet instructing the vaccination coordinator to “stop Guardia Civil and Policía Nacional” vaccinations, admitting there was no justification for the move. This decision left state security officers unprotected, while most Mossos and local police had already received their doses.
Vergés and her team argue that the vaccination schedule was coordinated with Spain’s health ministry and other regions, and that their decisions were based on medical criteria to prioritize the most vulnerable. However, the prosecution maintains that the Catalan officials were fully aware their actions would leave national police and civil guards at greater risk, as only 2.8% of Guardia Civil and 3.6% of Policía Nacional officers had been vaccinated at that point, compared to 77% of Mossos and local police, and nearly 69% of firefighters.
The timeline of events shows that after the initial agreement on February 9, 2021, to prioritize “special function groups” for AstraZeneca vaccination, Catalonia began immunizing those aged 18 to 55. Plans were made to vaccinate national police and civil guards between March 15 and 17, but the campaign was suspended on March 15 due to reports of rare blood clots linked to AstraZeneca. A week later, the national health council approved the vaccine for people up to 65, including police. Yet, according to prosecutors, Catalonia then shifted focus to vaccinating those aged 60 to 65, further delaying shots for many state officers.
This legal battle highlights ongoing tensions between Catalan authorities and Spain’s central government, especially regarding the treatment of national institutions in the region. The trial is expected to conclude by July 15. The outcome could set a precedent for how regional officials are held accountable for pandemic-era decisions. Similar disputes over the intersection of politics and public health have surfaced in other contexts, as seen when Catalan parties have pressured national leaders on sensitive issues, such as the recent calls for changes in PSOE leadership to avoid a far-right government.
For context, Spain’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign was coordinated at the national level but implemented by regional health authorities. The AstraZeneca vaccine was subject to several pauses and age restrictions across Europe in spring 2021, complicating rollout plans. The Mossos d'Esquadra are Catalonia’s autonomous police force, while the Policía Nacional and Guardia Civil operate under the Spanish government. Disputes over the treatment of these forces have been a recurring source of political friction in Catalonia, especially since the 2017 independence referendum.
