Corporate H1N1 Clinics Help Public Clinics

The decision of the New York City Department of Health to give H1N1 vaccine to corporate health clinics, including investment banks such as Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, has a benefit to H1N1 clinics run by the town.

Health Officer Megan Avallone said all of the information she has been getting reports that the investment banks, and several other corporations given the vaccine by the city, have been limiting the vaccine to those in the targeted population. She said this means fewer people will need to receive the vaccine through clinics run by the Westfield Regional Health Department, including one Tuesday night at Westfield High School.

"It takes the burden off of public health," she said.

The targeted population includes pregnant women, those between six months old and 24 years old, those between 25 years old and 64 years old with a chronic health condition, caregivers of children under six months old and certified health professionals with direct patient contact. According to a spokeswoman for the New York State Health Department, the decision to distribute the vaccine was made by the city's health department after the state sent the doses to the city.

A spokesman for Goldman Sachs confirmed that the vaccine was given to the investment bank after the bank made a request to the city. He said the bank was only given 200 doses of the vaccine, far below the number given to Westfield's health department.

"We put a request in to the New York City Department of Health, as [did] many other major employers who have health clinics," said Goldman spokesman Ed Canaday.

Canaday confirmed that the bank restricted distribution of the vaccine to employees in the high risk population. In order to police the distribution, employees were required to sign a form stating that they were in the high risk population, as defined by the federal Centers for Disease Control.

The late decision by the federal government to require the manufacturing of the H1N1 vaccine has led to a small amount being available at this time, leading to the restrictions in who is in the targeted population. Public health agencies, along with hospitals and corporate clinics, have been given a reduced supply until more is made available.

Avallone said given the reduced number of vaccines currently available, she is not worrying about where someone gets one, if a clinic is made available through an employer.

"In my mind if does not matter if a pregnant woman is vaccinated through public health or a corporation," Avallone said.