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Oct. 30, 2004 The nation's flu shot shortage is causing quite stir this year. The elderly, those who suffer from chronic illnesses, and infants are at a high risk of dying if they contract the flu. Businesses will see a shortage in production as a result of worker absenteeism. Everyone's in a panic. Well, everyone except our elected officials on Capitol Hill. There's no flu shortage on Capitol Hill. All 535 members of Congress -- as healthy as they may be - - are able to receive flu shots with a simple request. All Congressional employees are able to receive flu shots just as easily by simply saying they meet the CDC guidelines -- no questions asked. While many employees have voluntarily abided by the federal guidelines that dictate flu shots must first be dispensed to those in greater need, the fact that Congressional employees even have the choice to opt out of flu shots should outrage us all. Is the health of a Congressional employee more important than the health of an ailing elderly American? Is the health of a Congressional employee more important than the health of the nation's infants? I would assume it is since Congressional employees have been receiving flu shots since September 30 and there are still flu shots readily available. On October 22, the nation's flu shot supply was cut in half because the company that supplies the vaccine said some of the doses may be contaminated. Perhaps those idle flu shots Congress has sitting around can be dispersed to the general public. Let's see how fast the good people on Capitol Hill volunteer to hand them over. ------------ About the author: Genia V. Stevens is a Navy veteran and a 2000 graduate of the infamous Beloit College, creators of the Mindset List. She has a BA degree in Literature (minor in Political Science) and will complete her Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in February 2005. She's a freelance writer and internet business owner. She has several poems published under the pen-name G.V. Stevens and has several undergraduate essays published that are currently being used in undergraduate English courses nationwide. She's currently writing her first novel entitled "Georgia's Red Clay." You can access her weblog at: http://sisterstalk.tblog.com Email: geniastevens@gmail.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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