Bankiers zijn ook kwetsbaar

[Cees Binkhorst]

REPLY TO: D66 at nic.surfnet.nl

Als bankier kom je met zoveel mensen in aanraking dat je altijd
voorzorgen moet nemen. Sommige van die mensen geven je iets wat je
helemaal niet wilt hebben!

Groet / Cees

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/nov/06/wall-street-bankers-swine-flue
Wall Street bankers at front of queue for scarce swine flu vaccine

Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and Morgan Stanley among first New York
employers to receive shipments of H1N1 antidote

Just when you thought the popularity of Wall Street bankers had hit rock
bottom, top US financial institutions have caused uproar for allegedly
muscling their way to the front of the queue to get hold of scarce swine
flu vaccines.

Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and Morgan Stanley were among the first
employers in New York to receive shipments of the widely sought after
H1N1 antidote from public health authorities this week, prompting
furious attacks from political critics who claim bankers are getting
privileged treatment.

Christopher Dodd, Democratic senator from Connecticut, declared himself
"stunned" that top banks had received vaccines when a shortage of doses
has led to lengthy queues at clinics and hospitals across the US.

"Vaccines should go to people who need them most, not people who happen
to work on Wall Street," said Dodd, who wrote a letter of protest to the
US health secretary, Kathleen Sebelius.

New York's health department confirmed that vaccines had been shipped to
banks - Citigroup, which asked for 7,200 doses, received 1,200 while
Goldman Sachs, which applied for 5,400, was given 200. A spokeswoman
said distributing vaccines in workplaces would "alleviate stress and
pressure from community healthcare settings and hospitals".

She said pediatric and pregnancy clinics had already received doses and
that banks were among the first 50 private employers to get vaccines
simply because they were among the first to apply: "They were among the
first to place orders."

Seemingly taken by surprise at the reaction, banks said they had asked
for doses in common with scores of other employers - including New York
City's universities, healthcare companies and the media group Time
Warner. The vaccines will only be administered to staff who fall into
high-risk categories including pregnant women, diabetics and employees
suffering from cancer or liver disease.

"Like other responsible employers in New York City, we requested the
vaccine and will supply it only to employees who qualify under
guidelines laid down by the Centres for Disease Control," said a Goldman
Sachs spokesman.
But the spectre of bank employees being immunised at work while others
wait in line at public clinics has fed into discontent about the
privileged lifestyles enjoyed by those on Wall Street. Some, including
those at Goldman Sachs, are expecting record bonuses this year following
a swift bounce-back in the financial markets from the global financial
crisis.

Anna Burger, secretary treasurer of America's biggest healthcare
workers' union, the SEIU, said: "It's obscene that Wall Street bankers
think they are entitled to private shipments of H1N1 vaccinations while
health-care workers, pregnant women, and other at-risk Americans are
either waiting in line for hours or getting turned away because of
shortages."

Swine flu has been blamed for more than 600 deaths in the US and the
H1N1 vaccine was rushed into production over the summer by the French
drugs firm Sanofi. But factories are struggling to meet demand - so far,
31.8m doses have been made available in the US but the authorities say
that as many as 159 million people are in "high priority" groups.

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