Amid shortage, big NYC firms get swine vaccine

Just send the placebos to Wall Street....

Wall Street has a placebo affect on the economy, anyway.

Thanks Obama..... screwed us again.

"Wall Street banks have already taken so much from us. They've taken trillions of our tax dollars. They've taken away people's homes who are struggling to pay the bills," union official John VanDeventer wrote on the Service Employees International Union Web site. "But they should not be allowed to take away our health and well-being."

They are both crooked parties... Democrats & Republicans

What they don't tell you is that all the congress and senate were the first in line then everybody else.

Does anyone else see anything wrong with that picture??

You are right, Rockyroad, both parties are corrupt. It is time to consider a third party. The only way the dems and repubs will start working for the people again is if they feel threatened to completely loose power. At this point I don't think either care who really wins the elections, because either way both parties are still in power in one form or another.

The "One," Obama himself said a week or 10 days ago that the allotment of the vaccine was so important that the government would make up a guideline for its distribution. Who knew that Wall Street would be No. 1??? (Sarcasm dripping.)

Again, the people that we elected are acting like they are royalty.

Wall street also makes me sick.

This is not the America I grew up in.

I am thoroughly disgusted with the way USA handles serious problems. Give to the rich and take from the poor. That is the motto of all things including this swine flu . Just what is this country coming to? Obama get on the horn and start leading instead of all this nonsense (Ivoted for you, don't make me sorry for that) .

It would seem that anyone who believes we live in a democracy is sorely mistaken ..... Citibank, Goldman, The Federal Reserve? getting shots before hospitals and pediatricians. I guess we should remember that shes are the same institutions who financed our enemies during wartime like the Nazis ..... Then this all makes sense!

You are missing something here. This is another example of why private industry is better prepared on a regulay basis than ANY federal agency. Our government has had 10 -15 months to get things ready. They failed and your family member may die for it. All these companies did was look out for their employees, if your family member worked there, they would be healthy right now. My children received the first of two shots and the Doctors office called to cancel our second shot because they were out. Now they need to get 2 MORE shots because the first one the got is useless after 2 weeks. By my math.....that means 33% more shots being wasted because our government cannot do anything better than WE THE PEOPLE!

Masswhole

You are missing something here. This is another example of why private industry is better prepared on a regulay basis than ANY federal agency.

Naaa... Not at all !!!

I got vaccinated yesterday, up here in Canada.

That would not have happened if I were in charge here. You would be waiting behind the last US citizen. Then Canada because I love your country 2nd.

I knew it wouldnt take long for the continuation of the class warfare the dems have started..

Did ANY of you actually read the article or just the head line and skip to the newsvine button?

The Doctors request the vaccine, the same as any other doctor can. Then IF they are given the vaccine, they are instructed to give to to the SAME PEOPLE that the normal doctors have to follow. You all know the HIGH Risk group.. Pregnant woman, people with chronic illnesses, and the uninsured.

You guys really need to get off the kill wall street kick the Libs have started. Not everyone there are CEOs making a lot of money. Then again if you werent griping about wall street you wouldnt have anything else to gripe about.

Jeremy must work on Wall St. The problem here, Jer-boy, is how do we actually KNOW they are only giving this to high risk groups? We have to take their word for it? Their word isn't worth spit!!!!

You know about as well as any other situation. Jeremy is absolutely right. Read the article, and understand that companies, like any other institution, have high risk people that need the vaccine too. Doctors apply for the vaccine and prescribe it per their judgement. This isn't some sort of favored treatment of wall street. If you are going to complain and point fingers, point it at the government - not a company that has a medical staff and is doing exactly what they are supposed to do.

I wonder how many of the following "high risk" groups are actually employed at Goldman Sachs or other big NYC firms?

• -- children and young people through age 24 (hmm, I think there are laws against child labor, so this must apply to the few that are old enough to be hired at a big Wall Street firm?)
• -- people caring for infants under 6 months (if they are working on Wall Street, they probably don't spend their day caring for young infants)
• -- pregnant women (not sure what the m/f ratio is at these firms - I am guessing there are a few?)
• -- health care workers (nope, unless Goldman and Citi have their own onsite clinics or hospital that they personally staff?)
• -- adults with health conditions such as asthma and diabetes (perhaps)

Maggie, you are a sexist ignorant prat. The ratio of men to women on Wall Street is nearly 50/50 - or do you think women are not capable of being on Wall Street? As for family lives, nearly every woman I know who works on Wall Street has at least one child, many have several, and many are currently pregnant. Why do you think it is mutually exclusive to have a high paying powerful job and be a mother? And, guess what... Goldman and Citi DO have their own clinics and medical staff - who do you think is administering the dose?? You really need to take your narrow-minded 1950's attitude elsewhere.

That would not have happened if I were in charge here. You would be waiting behind the last US citizen. Then Canada because I love your country 2nd.

Wow, how disgusting. Canada has pregnant women and small children too, ya know and I'd rather they get the vaccine than fat cat CEOs and their money-grubbing cronies, thanks very much.

And then the US wonders why the world hates them.. when its citizens are flat-out saying their lives are more valuable than even their closest ally's lives. Bravo!

Isn't the government in charge of this vaccine distribution? If so, why would anyone be surprised at wall street being given vaccine?

According to Dr. Nancy Snyderman on the Today show, we have to TRUST these Wall Street companies to do the "right" thing with these doses....we wouldn't have any reason for doubt there, would we? I bet all of Congress also received theirs, too.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/33651691#33651691

Yea I think congress was the first in line.

Here at home a nurse who worked in the neo-nates' ICU ward has been hospitalized with H1N1. They do not know yet if any infants have been infected. She tried to get her shot but was turned away because no more was available. I hope Goldman Sachs' employees sleep well tonight. If any of those babies get ill or die, it will be on their heads...and on Obama's minions.

No Biloxi, it will not be on their heads. Why would you hold a pregnant woman who works at a secretary or mail room clerk responsible? She's on the approved list of people who get the shot first, so why is she less entitled to get it than the nurse? Are you saying it is acceptable for her baby to die in vitro because she got the swine flu simply because of the name of her employer?

If something terrible happens to those infants, the fault lies with the sick nurse who went to work sick with the swine flu when she knows she works in a high risk environment. It will also lie with the nurse's hospital for not making sure she got the shot.

My money's on only the execs getting the vaccines. I hope they keep excellent records so the recipients will be known,..oh wait, they don't believe in transparency, so we'll just believe what they tell us about their "pregnant secretaries".....

Our granddaughter has the H1N1 and is beginning to recover after weeks of pneumonia and high fever. The right vaccine still is not available anywhere near them. Now the real priorities of our president are starting to come out. The things campaign speaches do not show and certainly can not hide. Gibbs and Axelrod if questioned will say ...but they told us it would be here... meaning its not our fault. Blaming this on Mr Bush will probably be a stretch. By the way who did get the $1.5 billion you supposedly allocated to the flu vaccine?

Eric-289348

Jeremy must work on Wall St. The problem here, Jer-boy, is how do we actually KNOW they are only giving this to high risk groups? We have to take their word for it? Their word isn't worth spit!!!!

yea that wall street in Texas..

read the article use logic and not the class warfare fed to you by the white house.

BB 288971 - Corporate America, Wall Street and banks are the highest level of government.

What do ya want to bet that the CEO decided that vaccination day was the right day to check out the status of the old company health clinic?

If you were the company nurse, would you turn the CEO down?

Like I said, the entire premise of using an employer to vaccinate "high risk" people is frankly appalling to me. Should your employer keep track of your health records to know who is chronically ill? And guess who gets canned when the health insurance premiums start to rise on a "performance" issue?

Frankly this whole thing stinks.

right Debtfree....... gotta keep the greedy fools with all the money alive. With reported shortages and rationing of the vaccine all over the country, how do these money hungry mega corporations continue to get preferential treatment? Something is very,very wrong with our entire political system, and it needs to be fixed 'NOW'. Abolish the party system, make Congress off limits to all special interest groups and return America to a true 'representative form of government' where representatives must rely on constituents only for campaign finances by way of a state by state 'conflict of interest' law

Conservative types would have let every bailout recipient fail and go into Bankruptcy.

So those who do run their companies correctly can gobble up the pieces and make ooooodles of MONEY!

Wonder if corzine is going back to Goldman Sachs for his shot? He has the time now.

exactly!!!

They already show no emotional connectivity to anyone other than themselves. No mercury necessary.

PROPER PLANNING WORKS! They paid no more than anyone else.

The news last night said Texas has been selling doses to the highest bidders. Ah, capitalism..

Ponder this, some of those people sitting at home lost their jobs and medical insurance because of these financial firms, so why should they not get a shot while the greedy swine on Wall Street get theirs?

Ponder this Erica - those people who lost their jobs did so because they decided to lie on their mortgage applications to get a $500K house when they make $30K a year and ran up their credit card bills buying HD tv's and tons of other unnecessary things thinking it was magical free money, thereby tanking the economy themselves. They are equally responsible for the economy and the job market. But take a moment to ponder this a bit further - why are they MORE entitled to get a flu shot than people who work in the financial market? Is the pregnant woman who works at Goldman less entitled to get the flu shot than the unemployed person for no other reason than the name of her employer? What if she's just a secretary who makes $50K a year to support her family and her unemployed husband? What if there is a female trader who is a single mom of a 10mo old baby? Is there an exception for them or does your position that anyone who is employed by a Wall Street firm unworthy of getting the flu shot? These "Wall Street firms" are not faceless sentient beings who maliciously did something bad while laughing manically - they are a bunch of normal employees, mail clerks, secretaries, admin staff, every level of trader, middle management, and other regular people just trying to get by. Maybe you can explain to me why you are comfortable with calling these people "swine". I bet you wouldn't call the pregnant secretary that to her face, would you?

Hey coleslaw...

What most people here are upset about (and what you obviously don't understand) is that there is no way one can justify one business, be it a Wall Street "den of sin" or Wal-Mart, getting their hands on a vaccine that's in drastically short supply BEFORE hospitals and physicians can get it. There are hospitals, who are obligated to immunize only the most high-risk people, who don't have ANY of these vials of vaccine. These hospitals and doctors are obligated to immunize those at high risk of dying from H1N1, whether they be rich, poor, man, woman or child. Are you saying that Goldman-Sachs or Citigroup will immunize any of these people in need of the vaccine that don't work for them? Of course they won't!! They are hording the vaccine for their own employees! Hospitals won't be greedy about who gets immunized first. Pregnant women and children with asthma or other health problems first....fat cat bankers would have to wait! And, of course, since Goldman-Sachs and Citigroup have all the money....OUR TARP money....they can buy all the black market vaccine they can find. It's another instance of how money can buy just about anything, no matter how immoral and unethical it is!

Ponder that for awhile!

Um Devil, you need to poke your head out of the sand and pay attention next time. Both Goldman and Citi paid back their TARP funds months ago in full. They don't have any of "your" TARP funds - but then again since I seriously doubt you pay any taxes it wasn't your money anyway. The only people getting the flu shot at Goldman and Citi are the same people who could get it at the hospital - high risk employees whether they be rich, poor, man or woman. I can't say that a "fat cat banker" won't get it because there is a good chance SHE MIGHT BE PREGNANT. Or can you only envision the successful banker types as 50 year old men? So let's say you work for McDonalds and McDonalds LEGALLY was able to apply for a set of the vaccine, and got some. Let's say you were in the high risk group and were going to get your shot from McDonalds as your employer, but someone from AIG or Bank of America came and said you shouldn't get it because it should go to a hospital - would you voluntarily give yours up? What if you were a pregnant woman - would you give it up? If you are going to demand a standard you have to be willing to apply it to everyone, yourself included.

If the government wanted to limit the flu vaccines to just hospitals, they should have only sent them to hospitals.

Slaw...

So what you are saying is that pregnant women who happen to work for G-S or Citi have every right to get their vaccine before the pregnant women who work for, say, your local school system can get theirs? Just because they work for mega-conglomerate banks that have unlimited funds at their disposal, and your local school systems are hurting for money, so it's just "better luck next time" to your child's pregnant teacher? Is it "legal" like you say? I guess it is, since apparently nothing is being done to stop the hording. Is it moral? Is it ethical? I see you didn't mention those terms to describe this travesty. I think you know, in your heart, that what this is telling the public is that "big money" gets the first crack at the vaccine, and that it's too bad about all the other women and children that need it just as much as the pregnant women at CitiGroup do.

Here's my contention....CitiGroup gets 200 vials, vaccinates it's 50 or so pregnant women. Now what? They have all this vaccine and no more high risk employees. The "ethical" thing would be to either sell, or better yet, donate the rest of their stockpile to hospitals so that more high-risk patients can receive this potentially life-saving serum. My contention is that Citi will do what is best for Citi....and make sure their execs get the shots before they go to their 10am spa treatment and noon tee time at the country club.

And it sounds like you are totally okay with that contention. What I propose is that only hospitals who administer to those at high risk, be they rich or be they poor, get the vaccines until the immediate need for it is satisfied and the supplies are dramatically increased. Then, and only then, should private companies get a shot at purchasing the vaccines for their employees.

And, in answer to your question....YES, I would give up my vaccine in a heartbeat!!! I would most certainly not take any vaccine that my company may have "legally" acquired, even if I was in a high-risk group, if the vaccine was in such short supply. I would even go so far as to let my own executive board know how disappointed I am with them that they did such an immoral thing as purchase the vaccine for their employees while others who are more deserving go without. It's shameful, and unfortunately, the "American Way"...."the rich get it all...too bad for the rest of you suckers".

This is the reason why I have changed my political views away from Big Business in recent years, and aligned myself more with the "common man". Greed....it'll be the death of our country! Watch and see!

Holy cow Devil, what color is the sky in your world exactly? The fact that you are so completely disconnected from reality is shocking, but I guess if you let those pesky FACTS get in the way it would make it harder to support your ridiculous comments.

First, Citi and Goldman did not PAY anything to receive the vaccine, just as no hospital has paid to receive the vaccine. Per the CDC "2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine and ancillary supplies (syringes, needles, sharps containers, and alcohol swabs) have been purchased by the federal government and provided free of charge to all providers participating in this voluntary vaccination effort." So for you to claim that Citi somehow paid a premium because they have "unlimited funds" to the the vaccine before hospitals who are "hurting for money" is absurd and complete BS.

Second, to claim that Citi and Goldman somehow got "first crack" at the vaccine is equally ridiculous and has no basis in reality. Again, per the CDC "Any public or private provider who is designated as a 2009 H1N1 vaccinator by the public health authority in the jurisdiction where they practice can participate in the 2009 H1N1 vaccination program. In addition to physicians, private providers may include commercial community vaccinators (CCV) such as pharmacies, retail-based clinics, urgent care centers, and medical services firms. Public providers may include state and local health departments and Health Centers (HCs), including any federally qualified health center (FQHC) whether public or private. To become a designated 2009 H1N1 vaccinator, providers should contact the appropriate person in their state health department for more information. It is not necessary to be a registered Vaccines for Children (VFC) provider in order to participate in the 2009 H1N1 vaccination program." Simple concept: sign up, tell them how many you need - voila they arrive for you to administer.

Third, Citi did get 200 doses of the vaccine and used them all up within two days on their high risk, vaccine-qualified employees. However, since Citi had MANY more than 200 high-risk, vaccine-qualified employees they were still not able to provide vaccine to all of their high-risk, vaccine-qualified employees and those employees are going without the vaccine. Exactly how many people do you think work for Citi up here in NYC area? It's not a local bank branch ... try a couple hundred thousand.

Fourth, no one on Wall Street, be it Citi, Goldman, JPMorgan, or any other group, is having 10am spa appointments or golf tee times. In case your head is stuffed so far in (ahem) the sand, the reality is that people who work on Wall Street work 12-18 hour days EVERY SINGLE DAY. I know I am married to one of them. I am pretty sure you have never worked a 12-18 hour day in your life, much less worked them for 15 years straight. So if anyone here has time to go to spas and golf, it is probably you. Your absurd version of what life is like for people who work on Wall Street is about as accurate as saying the new Star Trek movie depicts what working for the US Air Force is like.

Fifth, it is interesting that you claim you would give up your vaccine dose that your employer obtained FOR FREE from the approved and publicly known vaccine program offered by the health department. Clearly you are neither in the high risk group or a pregnant woman with her unborn child at risk. I bet you would feel differently if you were in one of those. Since you find it so immoral for you to have the vaccine, I think you should agree to be the very last person on the planet to get the vaccine. You use the phrase "more deserving" - are there more deserving people in the high risk group and less deserving people in the high risk group? Are there more deserving pregnant women and less deserving pregnant woment? If so, please by all means explain to all of us your criteria for this - we would all love to hear your bigoted and biased response. Thankfully, the CDC and the health department to not have your subjective sub-categories for what is high-risk.

Finally, it is facinating that you are now against working hard to make money because that is "greedy". I think as a show of solidarity for your new views you should continue to work full time but give all of your money and possessions away and live in a box under a bridge. Just think of how warm and fuzzy your morals will feel and how well you will be able to sleep at night knowing you are finally not a hypocrite. However, I will not join you there. Both my husband and I are the first people in our families to have college degrees, as well as graduate degrees, which we paid for by ourselves. We both work 12+ hours a day every day and have busted our rears to accomplish more and be successful. In turn, we now support our parents and our siblings who would otherwise have to turn to public assistance. That, Devil, is not greed - that is the reward for hard work and the realization of the American dream! If you don't like the American dream - please oh please feel free to leave and move to China or North Korea. I'll even buy you the plane ticket with my "greed" money.

Namaste!

cole.

Banks and other employers should not have gotten vaccine before health care providers such as hopitals and clinics. While Citi and GC may have many many "high risk" employees, the bottom line is they all have insurance, a doctor, and should have lined up with everyone else. To suggest that this is anything other than the omnipresent pander by our gov't to corporate interests is a pretty naive.

What public health model suggests that clinics and hospitals, forget about doctors offices, are less efficient than a bank or other corproation in distributing the vaccine ... I mean should your employer even KNOW if you are high risk? Isn't that confidential medical history?

Finally, the suggestion that everyone on Wall St works 12 hour days is a bit of a stretch .... I worked in the business for many years and there is no correlation between hours worked and pay on Wall St .....

Finally, your argument about greed is a bit flat today .... it was the banks, Wall St who caused this recession - full stop. It has cost millions their jobs, houses families and even peoples' lives ... so you should be happy you have a job and not lecturing people about what is good or evil.

Hi Slaw!!

My, my...aren't we a bit testy!

I bet you think you deserve to make the half-million per year in salary, bonuses, perks, stock options, etc. that your employer pays you in compensation for your hard work, right? Just like the over-paid primadonnas that play professional sports think they're worth the millions they get paid. Let me tell you something you probably are aware of, but it's beneath you to even give credence to....there are blue collar workers all around this country that probably work every bit as many hours as you and your beloved hubby do, and they most certainly work harder than you do, but because they can't afford the fancy college education that you received, they are somehow judged as lazy and not willing to put forth the effort to excel by the business world. It is a shame that experience means nothing in today's corporate world....that just because you have a piece of paper that says you have a few more years of frat partying and black market thesis-purchasing doesn't mean you are worth any more than someone who's actually been in the workplace and has invaluable experience. You would have us all believe that, because you and your husband may have continued your education either on your parents' dime, or with help from tuition loans and grants that you were able to pay back, you are somehow justified in being grossly over-compensated for the work you perform.

I can tell from your rants that you have little regard for menial workers, for people who actually work up a sweat from being on their jobs, for people who just want to be paid an honest day's wage for an honest day's work. That it's beneath you to even spit in their direction. As you can probably deduce, I'm one of those whom you disdain! I don't have the fancy degrees that you probably have. But, I'll wager my meager weekly paycheck to just one day's pay for you that I work every bit as hard and as long as you do. But, I am outraged that somehow you and your Wall Street cronies think you are totally justified in getting your vaccines before those with no insurance or who are out of work due to the recession that was largely caused by your greed!

Do me a favor, when you get back from your three-week vacation to the south of France, please give me a shout! I'd love to hear from you as to how you spent your "hard-earned and well-deserved" millions!

Sorry about getting off-subject, everyone.....I just had to tell Ms. Slaw how much I love her!

I think that the people who agree with slaw are confined to those who are still employed in that business .... so about 5000 or 10000 people .....

To the poor virus or the petri dish??

And they have only just begun....

If those employees had any integrity, they would have walked.

The wing-nut rears up its ugly head and pukes pablum.

Ah a proud member of acorn?

True
truth hurts buddy

Yeah Bob, only if it were true. NOT!

Miller
Go become a member of ACORN.
I bet you can get in line sooner.
BTW I dont know you but will keep you in our prayers.

forget it--we are rural too and I am getting a double auto renal transplant on the 30th and I can't get it and neither can anyone in our family even when we are at risk--rural people are totally out of the loop on just about everything. We have had whole schools close and still we get nothing.

Bob-318660 is a Troll. Pay no attention to it.

Sure as s--t, True. Go away Bob-boy!

Sorry to see Bob running wild on the Blog. Go back into your cave quickly before the demons of reality and truth get you.

TRUE REALIST

RAS

DAVID

Loyalty, is commendable, doggedness, merely denotes the lack of ability

to reason. Softly, gentlemen, doggedness, approaches you.