American Maggie

Since when do prisoners and suspected terrorists receive better treatment than law abiding citizens?

That is the question that many Americans are asking after a recent acknowledgement that Guantanamo Bay prisoners may have the option of receiving H1N1 vaccinations, beginning early this month.

Earlier this week Army Maj. James Crabtree stated that GITMO prisoners could have the option of receiving inoculations against the swine flu. His reasoning rests on the fact that H1N1 spreads more rapidly among those living in close quarters, and because GITMO detainees reside in such circumstances, they are at risk individuals. There is also the argument that inmates must receive vaccinations in order to protect the welfare of guards patrolling the detention center.

However, would it not be more effective and widely accepted to instead simply vaccinate the guards on duty rather than extending treatments to 200 detainees? While these inmate doses are not mandatory, the idea that H1N1 prevention mechanisms are available for suspected terrorists, shocked many flu frenzied individuals.

Coinciding with civilian concerns was the announcement that GITMO detainees will not, in fact, receive vaccinations against H1N1. According to an article in Reuters, published this morning, the White House denied, on Tuesday that “any H1N1 flu vaccine is now going to terrorism suspects held at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba.” Finally the response Americans were hoping for, right? Wrong! Subsequent to that statement was a rebuttal from Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman who stated that “detainees at Guantanamo would receive the vaccine only after active duty troops, deployed U.S. contractors and civilians and civilians working for the Department of Defense.” This sudden revocation of the idea that vaccines would be given to GITMO detainees bears some level of suspicion. I think that many would agree that past and current White House administrations have a knack for promising one thing and doing another.

Concerns from American citizens following this announcement still remain are not unwarranted. Federal officials initially estimated a production of 40 million doses by the end of October. Never the less, they have since rescinded their approximation to 26 million doses. Health officials have combated such facts with claims that there are adequate vaccination reserves. Officials now report an estimated 30 million doses of H1N1 vaccines that have been delivered to the U.S. Yet, health officials also warn that children under the age of nine need 2 doses of the vaccine to ensure adequate protection. Assuming that children receive the majority of vaccinations, this means that really only 15 million Americans can receive the vaccine.

While it has been reported that vaccine production and distribution is steadily increasing, it is difficult to completely side with health officials who assert such a claim when you look at communities that simply do not have enough available H1N1 vaccinations. According to a recent report by ABC anchor Veronique Masterson, numerous hospitals in the border city of El Paso, Texas, find it difficult to secure enough inoculations for health care workers. While the concern lies in the best interest of the hospital employees themselves, there is also concern about the effect on visiting patients. Without protecting health officials who interact with patients who may have weak immune systems or other deficits, we are, in effect putting others at risk.

Our federal government needs to reevaluate its priority lists with regard to who receives H1N1 vaccinations. Cynicism can be a form of prudence, and in the case regarding whether or not GITMO detainees may receive H1N1 vaccinations, I think it is fair to assume that such individuals will, in fact, be recipients of the vaccine. If protecting suspected terrorists supercedes the importance of preserving innocent American civilians, the U.S. government needs to adjust their focus and take a course in proper risk assessment.

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Kathleen Someah previously attended Kenyon College where she studied English and Political Science.  She is currently an intern with a political think tank where she focuses primarily on issues relating to homeland security

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