Fitness instructor roasted for jumping the vaccine queue
A social media influencer has been slammed after it was revealed she received the coronavirus vaccine ahead of frontline healthcare workers and the elderly.
Stacey Griffith, 52, made a name for herself through her Soul Cycle videos to which she posted to social media.
However, her 64,000 followers were less than impressed when she informed them in a now-deleted Instagram post that she had received the novel jab.
"VACCINE DAY! Step one of the Moderna magic!! One hour drive to STATEN ISLAND worth every minute! It takes a village," she wrote.
Griffith is one of 850,000 New York City residents in the U.S. who are to receive the first round of the coveted vaccine but was criticised heavily by followers for being vaccinated before high-risk individuals.
"Doesn't sound like someone who should've gotten vaccinated to me," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio wrote on the celebrity fitness instructor's post.
Another comment made by a caretaker revealed their wife had been battling stage four cancer, and is still in the dark on to when they will receive the treatment.
"She is at least two to three months out from being eligible for a vaccine," they said.
"But yes, let's celebrate that we are making the world safe for in-person spin class in the midst of a global pandemic."
Online media organisation Vox
reported that Griffith earns at least $800 for every Soul Cycle ( a popular form of a spin class) session she teaches.
She told The Daily Beast that she received the vaccine earlier than many others due to her role as an “educator”.
"Having me vaccinated can stop the short spread within groups!" she said.
"In my profession of health and wellness as a teacher, it's my priority daily to keep my community and their respiratory systems operating at full capacity so they can beat this virus if they are infected by it. I can only teach to them if I am healthy myself."
Griffith clarified she received the same opportunity to be vaccinated by filling out an online form. She insists she has pulled “no favour” or paid :no money” to get the vaccine.
She added that not all Soul Cycle instructors would be eligible for the vaccine.
Griffith took to Instagram initially after deleting her first post to apologise.
"I want to apologise from the bottom of my heart for my recent action in receiving the vaccine," the post read.
"I made a terrible error in judgment and for that I am truly sorry."
A SoulCycle spokesperson told Yahoo that Griffith had "operated in a personal capacity in applying for a NY State COVID-19 vaccine.”
They confirmed that the organisation had "no role" in organising or obtaining vaccinations.
In the first stage of vaccine rollouts, those eligible for the vaccine include healthcare workers, elderly residents over 65 and essential workers, including supermarket staff and educators.
To date, there have been over 1,473,200 cases of coronavirus in the state of New York.