Caption: Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jonas Gustavsson (L) looks down to the puck as defenseman Luke Schenn defends during first period NHL hockey action against the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo, New York, October 30, 2009. REUTERS/Gary WiepertGARY WIEPERT/Reuters
While many Canadians who are not among the priority groups are still waiting for their chance to get the H1N1 vaccine, some have been able to get their shot early - but not without some controversy.
Several members of the Olympic 2010 torch-relay team received their H1N1 shots last week, ahead of pregnant women, health-care workers, children and others in high-risk groups. Hockey players for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Calgary Flames and the minor league teams in Moncton and Abbotsford, B.C. have all been jabbed.
The public outcry over the players' shots spurred New Brunswick's medical officer of health to chastise the minor-league Moncton Wildcats, saying the organization erred in vaccinating its team.
As The Globe's , the debate over who should get priority poses plenty of ethical quandaries. Ethicists seem to agree that GlaxoSmithKline Inc.'s decision to vaccinate its staff and their families is justifiable - if they aren't healthy, who will keep the rest of us healthy?
Mr. Valpy also writes that many see getting high-value athletes vaccinated "'makes good business sense' - likely the same maxim of U.S. financial giants Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, which got short-supply vaccine from New York City health authorities against a backdrop of outraged media reports."
So who deserves to get the vaccine first? Join the discussion and leave your comments below.
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