 | | There is outrage today that swine flu vaccines were supplied to Wall Street corporations before pregnant women and children. | |
 | | There is outrage among some Americans that Wall Street corporations were given the vaccine, which is in short supply. | |
 | | At a Baltimore hospital, the swine flu vaccine is kept under lock and key. | |
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There's outrage today that Wall Street fat cats are getting the swine flu vaccine ahead of millions of other Americans, who are waiting in long lines.
There are no lines for the swine flu vaccinations on Wall Street. Some of America's top financial institutions, which were given huge government bailouts during the financial crisis, have been given another handout...the scarce swine flu vaccine.
"There are pregnant women, there are school children who can't get this because their doctors don't know how to get it. It really looks bad, I think for our federal government, certainly for Wall Street," says NBC News Chief Medical Editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman.
Business Week magazine reports that Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and the New York Stock Exchange are among Wall Street giants supplied with the vaccine.
Goldman Sachs was given 200 doses, as many as New York City's Lenox Hill Hospital.
The Wall Street corporations have been told to stick to the federal guidelines, and give the shots only to pregnant women, people under the age of 25, and those with underlying conditions.
A statement from Citigroup said its vaccine will be used "To vaccinate employees who are at greater risk of becoming ill."
Goldman Sachs told INSIDE EDITION they will give the shots "Only to employees who qualify."
The White House admitted the system for distribute the vaccine was flawed.
"The vaccine should be going to priority groups if there are children that fit the priority groups that should be getting this and aren't, then yes, that went incorrectly to somebody else," said Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
Children being treated for swine flu in a Baltimore hospital are there because they never got the vaccination in time. The vaccine is so scarce there, it is kept under lock and key, and a sign says it's for doctors only.
And ordinary Americans are waiting in line for hours to receive the swine flu vaccine, unlike the fat cats on Wall Street.
"They're responsible for the problems in the economy, so why should they be vaccinated against the swine flu before pregnant women and young children are?" one woman waiting for the vaccine told INSIDE EDITION.
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