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NYC Commissioner Defends Giving H1N1 Shots to Goldman (Update2)
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By Pat Wechsler


Nov. 6 (Bloomberg) -- New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley said his department sent 6 percent of the city’s limited doses of swine flu vaccine to Citigroup Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and other large employers because they traditionally distribute shots in flu seasons.

As many as one-quarter of adults who receive seasonal flu shots get them at work, Farley said today in an interview on CNBC. He said he understands the frustration people are feeling because they can’t get the vaccine. City clinics, open Saturdays to vaccinate middle-school and high-school students, also will provide shots to pregnant women tomorrow, Farley said.

The disclosure about the vaccine distribution to private employers in New York spurred the White House and top officials to reinforce U.S. health guidelines calling for children, pregnant women and adults with serious health conditions to be among the first to receive shots. Manufacturers have been criticized for their slow production pace and have delivered millions of doses fewer than originally estimated.

“It’s really important for every available dose to be used as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Anne Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today during the agency’s weekly conference call.

New York City Supply

New York City received 800,000 doses of vaccine for swine flu, or H1N1 influenza, as of the beginning of the month, department spokeswoman Jessica Scaperotti said. The biggest portion -- 39 percent -- was allocated to the schools, while 21 percent was set aside for health care providers, 19 percent for hospitals, and 6 percent for private adult providers, including large employers with on-site medical personnel and clinics.

“Every provider must sign an agreement that they will only give the vaccine to those in the high-risk groups” designated by federal public health officials, Farley said.

The department released a list of large employer allotments that showed Citigroup, with 1,200 doses, received more than Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, which was shipped 200. Goldman Sachs also received 200 doses. Mount Sinai Medical Center received 1,700 and Saint Vincent Catholic Medical Centers got 1,900. Morgan Stanley gave the 1,000 doses it received to hospitals, said spokeswoman Carissa Ramirez.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=awCHvhZqPcTo&pos=9