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Posted September 13, 2007(191 replies)
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I am really REALLY mad about the fact that some of the Big Wall Street firms (ie: Goldman, Citi) and the NYSE comandeered H1N1 vaccinations before many, many OBs and Peds in NYC. Some of the firms got more vaccine than even the hospitals have received. I am 30 weeks pg with asthma and I have a 21 month old son. We are going to drive 1.5 hours today (one way) for the *glimmer* of a hope to get the vaccine (unfortunately it will not be thimerosol free but I really don't know what my options are at this point). I feel like not only has Wall Street messed up our world economy, now they are effectively saying "our lives are potentially more important than yours or that of your children." I would LOVE to see some moms from this board organize and picket Wall Street, City Hall or even Albany -- whoever it takes. Anyone with me?
101 replies [ Reply | Watch | MoreI just watched the coverage about this on the Today show. The problem is that GS, Citi, etc. probably played by the rules and just applied for a share of the vaccine and NYS gave them a share. The problem is that Wall Street has such a bad reputation that the blame goes to them and not the State that actually allowed it. The right thing for Wall Street would have been to donate their share to a local hospital and ask their employees to stand in line with all the other people that don't work for them.
[ Reply | More ]I really don't understand people's outrage. These companies applied for the vaccines like any other entity, paid for it, and got it. If you want medicine to be completely govt. run then get behind your president and change the health care policy. But as it stands these firms have not done anything wrong, and are simply protecting their workers which I commend them for.
[ Reply | More ]How do you explain that Lenox Hill Hospital got the exact same number of vaccines as Goldman Sachs did? I agree this is a problem with how the state is distributing the vaccines and it's always been like this that companies with medical offices can apply for a share. Nobody did anything legally wrong but there are ethical implications. Let's not talk about image.
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Ordinary people work for these firms. You do understand that, right? PG women, people with small children, and people with health problems just like you. Are you saying you think their lives are less important because of who they work for?
[ Reply | More ]No, I think people are saying that the high risk groups are not over represented at GS - (ie no children, pregnant women make up a very small percentage of their work force) and the vax were not ONLY given to pregnant women or asthma suffers. The right, moral thing to do - when GS/Citi saw the shortage would have been to donate theirs to peds/hospital in order to vax the AT RISK groups and allow their non at risk employees to wait. But right and moral have a hard time finding a place in Wall Street Firms.
[ Reply | More ]morgan stanley got 1000 shots -they are donating them back. I'm pretty sure goldman got more than 200 shots if MS got 1000
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If you don't like the rules, complain to the government. These firms played by the rules and got the vaccines, you can't blame them for that.
[ Reply | More ]I think this is a big part of what is wrong with society today. Yes, you can blame them. There is and always has been the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. We should not excuse questionable behavoir, by saying well... they did follow the rules. We need individual and collective moral people. As moms, are we trying our best to teach childrent to get whatever they can as long as they find a loophole - or are we teaching them to be kind, thoughtful, considerate and sometimes sacriface for someone else?
[ Reply | More ]So if your pediatrician got his supply and can give it to you, but the local hospital needs it, you would donate it? Come on.
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I actually think there is going to be a big backlash. I almost think these guys are going to need armed guards because some crazy is going to take a gun and shoot them. It just keeps getting worse. The favoritism, the bonuses, now the flu vaccine. Let the bail me out. Obama is in Goldman's pocket and they do think they are better than the great unwashed.
[ Reply | More ]Morgan Stanley disingenuously "donated" their ONE THOUSAND vaccines to area hospitals. There is a vulgar irony to this. And for those defending these cos., how many pregnant women, young children, etc. really high risk people? My dr had the shot and my ped still doesn't so my 1 yr old is still waiting while mr/ms muckity muck doesn't? hmmm.
[ Reply | More ]this is absurd. how does one disingenuously donate anything? Back when these were ordered nobody knew there was going to be a big delay in the production of the vaccine. The company thought it was getting its fair allotment and then when it was clear there was a shortage they donated them back. You're showing your colors as a bitter hater, which just voids your "opinion" since it's irrational.
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The problem is that there's a shortage - full stop. The school district next door to us has the vaccine, ours doesn't. Yet I'm not trying to assemble an angry mob against them.
[ Reply | More ]But its a school, not an IB largely populated by healthy middle age men and women not "high risk" categories. So you can remove your halo now.
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^^^available for everyone that is high-risk. That's the heart of the issue, and it's not Wall Street's fault. Someone with your profile that happened to work for Goldman Sachs would be just as "worthy" of a vaccine as you are.
[ Reply | More ]np: then why are people at GS who are not in the high risk group being given the vaccine. that's completely irresponsible.
[ Reply | More ]Yes, that would be irresponsible if true (which I'm not sure it is - I read that only high-risk employees were being vaccinated). But that's not the OP's issue - she's pissed they even got the vaccine in the first place, regardless of how they're using it. Like if the principal of my neighboring school took all her vaccines home and passed them out to friends and family, that would be irresponsible also.
[ Reply | More ]If you are at GS, you need to be in a high-risk group. A friend of mine is pg and she had to stand in line with others and be screened by a nurse before being alowed to get the shot. When they hand out the regular seasonal flu-shot it takes about 30 seconds to go in, read the pamphlet and get the shot.
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As another mother waiting for the vaccine for her 3 young children, I understand the frustration but let's direct it where to the agency that is mishandling this situation. The NY State Health Department and the NY City Health Department are responsible for distributing the vaccine to facilities and agencies that have applied for them. It is NYCHD's responsibility to say who is a priority group and they have been (re)instructed by the CDC to insure that health care workers, pregnant women, kids etc are vaccinated first. I can't stand GS or Citi either but it's not their fault that they've been given the vaccine in lieu of higher priority groups. Picketing Wall St is pointless... if you have a beef, take it to State Health Commissioner Richard Daines and NYC Dept of Health Commissioner Thomas Farley
[ Reply | More ]OP here: I am getting ready to leave for the long car ride now. I am glad for the debate that this has generated. I would be happy to know that the vaccines that went to GS, NYSE, etc. truly went to those at high-risk (of course, their employees have the opportunity to get to doctors like we do, so why didn't their doctors get the doses)? Anyway, if high-risk ppl got it, great. But what I got from the interview with the head of the health dept in NY was him throwing up his hands and saying, basically, "It's up to the companies to decide who's high risk." Let me guess... the guy at the top who has high BP? C'mon... Anyway, regardless of how you stand on this issue, please wish me luck that we can get the shot -- we are basically travelling almost to PA to get it.
[ Reply | More ]Please, if you are THAT worried, quarantine yourself and your db until flu season is over. There isn't enough vaccine to go around, period, so even if GS and MS didn't get any that still doesn't mean it would make your plight ANY different. And for God's sake, stop watching the news and reading this board. Your getting yourself way too worked up over this.
[ Reply | More ]and here, you can read this so you feel better about not getting the flu shot: http://www.aolhealth.com/health/fall-health/flu-shot-desiree-jennings?icid=main|main|dl2|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolhealth.com%2Fhealth%2Ffall-health%2Fflu-shot-desiree-jennings
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You can't listen to the sensationalist media's bent on this and trust it. They are trying to get people stirred up, and it is working. GS got 200 vaccines and are distributing them to their own high-risk employees, such as people with asthma and elderly people. Every GS exec is not getting the vaccine. And the GS workers who are getting the vaccine through work are as deserving of it as any other non GS-employed at-risk person.
[ Reply | More ]I'm 30 weeks pregnant and have been searching for the H1N1 shot. My ob @ Columbia Pres can't get it. I've been calling everywhere. After hearing about Goldman I decided to call them to see if I could 'buy' a shot. At first they said - no, sorry, none left. I then told them I was an investor and the guy told me to hold on as he was transferring me to their nurse. The nurse said they used all their shots the same day they received them. I'm still frustrated but I find it more annoying that I was given the brush off until I claimed to be an investor.. then they were happy to try to help.
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Hey I am a journalism student at Stony Brook University in Long Island and I am trying to do a broadcast piece as my final project about the shortage of the H1N1 vaccine and people who are in the high risk group who have been turned away because of it. You would be a perfect person for me to interview. Would you mind contacting me. My name is Christine and it would be extremely helpful. My email is christine.l.vargas@gmail.com or you can call me which might be better anyway at 914-843-6708. I think it is crazy that it is a known fact that young children and pregnant women are at high risk of getting the swine flu and the government recommends them to get it, but yet it is very hard to obtain. Please give me a call. I think this is a major problem.
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