Consumer Watchdog – Swine Flu vaccine for Wall Street, but not for kids, nurses, or Main Street?

The news that the New York office of Citigroup got 1,200 doses of H1Ni flu vaccine, and Goldman Sachs got about 200, makes me even angrier than their executive bonuses. Don't these people have any sense of propriety? Just by way of comparison, local health departments, like those in LA County, are struggling to even vaccinate high-risk groups like health workers, children and pregnant women.

From the LA Times:

If H1N1 flu vaccine shortages persist, California may not be able to vaccinate those most at risk by the  end of December, public health officials said today.

Health officials have said that at least 25 city and county health agencies have received less than 45% of the vaccine doses they ordered. The state's goal had been to have all "high-risk" patients vaccinated by Dec. 31 -- but the shortage of vaccine is putting that goal in jeopardy.

So how many health workers, children, child-care workers and pregnant women work at Citigroup's Wall Street offices? It wouldn't surprise me if they're just taking the salary list and vaccinating from the top figure on down. Gotta take care of those valuable executives who might bolt to another company if they don't get their vaccine ahead of the children.

Obviously, some of the blame goes to New York health officials, who distributed the vaccine. But Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and others who demanded and got the vaccine also should hide in shame for accepting it.

Here's the glimmer of good news: Another big firm that got the vaccine, Morgan Stanley, immediately did the right thing. 

From the AP:

Morgan Stanley received 1,000 doses of the vaccine for its New York and suburban offices, but the company turned over its entire supply to local hospitals when it learned it received shipments before some area hospitals, spokeswoman Jeanmarie McFadden said.

Any of us making investment decisions should keep that in mind. At least someone at Morgan Stanley doesn't have his head up the wrong orifice.