Capitol workers at high risk for the flu regardless of age or health? 


After the Bush administration urged most healthy adults to forego getting a flu shot because of the large shortage of vaccine this year it is a little surprising to learn that the Capitol's physician received 2000 doses of the flu vaccine and has been giving them to lawmakers and their staff, regardless of age or state of health. 

Reuters reports that the Capitol's physician considers everyone at the Capitol to be at high risk because they come into contact with large numbers of the public. Does that mean that anyone who works on a checkout line at a supermarket, or any other business that serves the public in large numbers every day, is also at high risk? If that's true, then perhaps the administration should be saying something about that! I doubt that any member of the House or Senate comes in contact with more members of the public than someone who stands at a grocery checkout counter for hours day after day.

I thought the "high risk" groups were not those most likely to get the flu, but those most likely to die or to suffer very severe illness if they got the flu. 

Posted: Thursday - October 21, 2004 at 12:24 AM          

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