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Latest Wall Street Injustice: Swine Flu Vaccines!
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Nov 5, 2009
Modified Nov 5, 2009
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By
Jaya Saxena
Published Nov 5, 2009
Modified Nov 5, 2009
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Main St. v. Wall St.! Some New Yorkers are up in arms upon finding out that Citigroup and Goldman Sachs have received numerous doses of the much-coveted H1N1 vaccine. The two banks each received a several hundred doses for at-risk employees (pregnant women, etc...), but the city's Health Department has had to explain themselves to citizens who believe companies shouldn't get preferential treatment over people waiting in line for the vaccine. "Wall Street banks have already taken so much from us," union official John VanDeventer wrote on the Service Employees International Union website, "But they should not be allowed to take away our health and well-being."
The Government-funded vaccine was distributed to the states, where each state could decide how to administer the vaccination. New York allowed businesses with on-site medical staff to apply for a limited number of doses, and the businesses must agree to administer the vaccine only to high-risk employees. Other top NYC employers, such as Columbia University, NYU, and the New York Presbyterian Healthcare System, also received the vaccine.
But this is a National Emergency, and many people are questioning why these companies are more deserving than other, higher-risk groups. Jessica Scaperotti, a spokeswoman for New York City's Department of Health, told AP "As the vaccine became more available we expanded it to adult providers," and said the companies were "a great avenue for vaccinating people at risk." MSNBC has a video of the crisis below, complete with proof that in these tough times, even high-risk newscasters can't get the shot.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Tagged
citi group
goldman sachs
h1n1
h1n1 vaccine
health care workers
main street
NYC department of Health
swine flu
wall street
Jaya Saxena
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