Swine flu shots for prisoners?
Controversy erupts over the feds’ decision to offer terrorism suspects the H1N1 vaccine—ahead of pregnant women
A Guantanamo Bay detainee's arm hangs outside his cell.
(EPA/Corbis/Mike Brown)
As Americans face an unnerving shortage of the swine flu vaccine, the Pentagon is offering shots to the 215 terrorism detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Meanwhile, several states are debating where their prisoners fall in the vaccine priority list, given that crowded jails notoriously breed flu bugs. Should inmates get vaccinated before law-abiding citizens? (Watch Rep. Bart Stupak (D- MI) announce an investigation into prisoners getting swine flu shots)
Terrorists shouldn’t outrank pregnant women: The Army’s rationale is that Gitmo detainees are at higher risk, says Stephen Hayes in The Weekly Standard. “Really?” As actually “at risk” Americans scramble for the “coveted” vaccine, there’s no way 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohamed should get priority over pregnant women—six times more likely to die from swine flu—and children.
“The swine flu Democrats (Gitmo edition)”
We do have some obligation to prisoners: “Certainly there are more deserving groups” than prisoners, say the editors of ScienceBlogs’ Effect Measure. But whether at Guantanamo or in state lock-up, inmates are “near the center of the viral bulls-eye for swine flu.” The state must take responsibility for their survival—with or without public sympathy. “We locked ’em up. Now we own them.”
“Swine flu prisoner’s dilemma”
Watch out—this is a just a taste of Obamacare in action: “Certainly, at a time of such acute shortages,” says Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), quoted in The Hill, Americans have to come before “terrorist detainees.” But “this is exactly the kind of misadministration of healthcare…that ought to give the American people great pause about [the Democrats’] massive government-run insurance plan.”
“Pence to Pentagon: Rethink decision to offer H1N1 vaccine to Gitmo detainees”
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179 Comments
Posted by steven harnack, Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 12:54 pm If saving American lives depends on not giving 215 prisoners shots we're really screwed!
Posted by Jennifer, Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 1:01 pm Wondering why we keep the guys alive...If they get H1N1 and die it will save us from feeding them housing them and then having to pay for lethal injection in 10 years.
Posted by Julie, Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 1:18 pm It's not really about the 215 prisoners who will receive their shots, it's about the government, on again, placing priorities in the wrong order. So what if we are responsible for them because we locked them up, our administration seems to forget that they are responsible to our own country and its' citizens first and foremost. Pray for America and our misguided leaders.
Posted by ckpurce, Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 1:18 pm Oh, if we only spent as much attention and money on the average lawabiding American as we do on American prisoners, other countries, especially Iraqui citizens.....I am a very compassionate person, but, hey, this should be obvious. Everyone on the high risk list who is NOT a prisoner should get the elusive H1N1 vaccine first, then all the people who want it, and then, LAST the people who have demonstrated by their actions that they don't want to live according to our system. They gave up their right for special priveleges.
Posted by Priss, Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 1:35 pm People who work, shop, go to school etc.are the ones most susceptible to getting the flu. Prisoners are isolated from the populace other than their visitors who could or should be screened for sickness as well as crack cocaine, guns and razorblades etc. What happened to women and children first in crisis? I guess that went out with actually screening for crack cocaine, guns and razorblades.
Posted by Tomas, Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 1:42 pm Think of it this way. The Feds want to ration health care. Giving vaccines to prisoners who want to kill Americans is Irrational, but rattioning all the same. This is what they will do when they get control of our health care. THEY will say who gets saved, and who will not. They will say who gets treatment, and who is not a priority. The government is playing its hand right now and for those of you who do not see this coming, get a grip. BHO fooled us during the campaign, and he's pulling the wool over our eyes again. NO to fed health rations
Posted by Michelle, Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 2:01 pm This country is really messed up! Canada HERE I COME!!!
Posted by Michael, Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 2:01 pm I wouldn't take the shot anyways it has cancer cells in it and has not passed any form of testing, inject yourself with cancer to avoid the flu.Something doesn't seem 100 logical with that.
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