Bankers first, women and children can wait? I'm outraged!
Thirteen major banks and Wall Street firms got a private allocation of H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine, while vulnerable woman and children remain on waiting lists. I find this outrageous.
According to the Associated Press, swine flu vaccine has been in short supply nationwide because of manufacturing delays, resulting in long lines at clinics and patients being turned away at doctor's offices. The vaccine started trickling out in early October, and there are now nearly 36 million doses available.
In New York, the city Health Department is handling distribution. They've used regular health channels, but also decided to allow large companies with employee health departments to request vaccine supplies and administer them to employees. Companies including Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup were able to get the vaccine ahead of community residents, including vulnerable children and pregnant women.
The Centers for Disease Control have been clear on who gets priority for the vaccine: children and young people through age 24, people caring for infants under 6 months, pregnant women, health care workers, and adults with health conditions such as asthma and diabetes. These people need to be at the front of the line, not predominantly male bankers, brokers and stock traders.
To their credit, Morgan Stanley turned down the 1,000 doses they were alloted when they learned that even some local hospitals had not received vaccine for their employees. The other firms, however, said they planned to keep their allotments.
More than 100 children have already died from the swine flu this year in the US. Putting more kids and mothers at risk by shoving them to the back of the line is reprehensible.
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Hi Pat! Thank you for your thought-provoking post! Do you know why the New York Health Department made that decision to allow large companies with their own employee health departments to get the vaccine? I'd be curious to see what their reason was for this. What I'm wondering is if there will ever be enough of this vaccination before it peaks for the season. Fortunately, most of the cases I've heard about from friends have been on the mild side but I also know of people who developed the secondary infections like bronchitis and pneumonia. Thank you again for taking the time to post this! Best in health, Michelle
Hi Michelle – That’s a good question, and it’s one others are asking as well. Several members of Congress have asked for an explanation. Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut said "Vaccines should go to people who need them most, not people who happen to work on Wall Street.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not review and sign off on the decisions of state and city health departments as to which doctor's offices and businesses will be sent vaccine doses, said spokesman Tom Skinner. A spokesperson for the New York Health Department said the city viewed the use of large employee health clinics as an important outlet for reaching at-risk adults. The issue is that other distribution points, including hospitals, were bypassed and the large firms were made a higher priority.
In direct response to the New York City situation CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden has sent a reminder to state and city health departments nationwide reminding them that high-risk groups should receive the vaccine first. He’s also asked them to review their distribution plans. "I ask each of you to review your plans immediately and work to ensure that the maximum number of doses is delivered to those at greatest risk as rapidly as possible," he wrote.
I’m paying close attention to this situation as a colleague of a very close friend, a 51-year-old healthy registered nurse, recently died from complications of the H1N1 flu. It’s important that all of us take this seriously, learn prevention measures and support each other. At the same time, it’s important to be realistic and not panic as prevention measures do work, are simple to adopt and are inexpensive.
EmpowHer has many good articles on what members can do, and I encourage people to not only read them for themselves but to share the information with friends and family.
Take good care,
Pat
Hello Pat,
I watched this on the news last night and just couldn't believe it. I have no idea how some can become so privileged when others.......I also heard that prisoners were getting the H1N1 before pregnant women and children as well although I can only hope that those are limited to the age group (under 24) that are incarcerated. I just survived 2 entire weeks with and recovering from the swine flu...It was HORRIBLE and I managed to get bronchitis on top of it all...and I have been bragging that I *never* get sick! I don't recommend it!
All my best!
Sharon
Sharon LaMothe
Infertility Answers, Inc.
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Here in Minnesota the H1N1 has taken a terrible toll. My cancer center and hospital don't have their doses yet. The hospital was barely up and running with all the staff out with the flu!
Pat,
I'm so glad you commented on this.
Among my friends and family members are a 24-year-old man with diabetes and a seizure disorder who has been hospitalized twice now with the swine flu and its resulting pneumonia; a 44-year-old mom of two young children who is in her fourth week of fighting swine-flu-related pneumonia, a 31-year-old mom of a 2-year-old who is also 6 months pregnant and four nieces and nephews under age 13, one with asthma. As I understand it, the Wall Street firms got their H1N1 flu vaccines before any of these people did.
I find this absolutely outrageous, especially when the CDC itself has prioritized and publicized so well how the vulnerable populations MUST be vaccinated first.