President Javier Milei, when assuming his seat as a national deputy in 2021, sparked controversy by revealing that he had not been vaccinated against Covid-19, arguing that he assessed the 'risk-benefit'. Ultimately, the economist received the second dose of Sinopharm that November, and the reason he gave was strictly economic and labor-related. According to the Argentine News Agency, Milei justified the change in his stance by his need to generate income after leaving his private sector job to take office in Congress: 'I had to get vaccinated because I don't live off politics or the state.' The final decision to get vaccinated was motivated by his inability to travel to Uruguay, the United States, Chile, and Spain to fulfill his work commitments and thus avoid 'being left without income.' The confrontation centered on Milei's argument that while he believed not all vaccines were 'well-tested' due to the short development time, the need to protect vulnerable groups was undeniable.
