Does caring for family justify taking priority places not meant for us?

The wish to protect your family is understandable, but you must also consider whether you are taking an opportunity that should have been available to someone else. When I discussed the vaccine priority system at the time, my reminder concerned people who did not meet the eligibility requirements then but used personal connections to move ahead of others. They should not look only at the benefit they themselves gained.

A fellow practitioner also asked whether it would be acceptable to let their parents receive the vaccine first, instead of taking the early opportunity themselves. But we still need to consider whether someone with a greater need was originally ahead in the queue. The desire to care for family and the appropriateness of the method are two matters we both have to face.

From the perspective of spiritual practice, if you continue to feel guilty afterwards and fear that others will find out, you should honestly consider whether you already understand what was wrong. This discussion concerns responsibility for limited places, priority, and the choices we make. The example from that time depended on the fact that the priority order had been violated. We must not omit that premise and turn it into a claim that receiving a vaccine itself was wrong.