Who Runs Gov

There’s a big stir on the right over claims that Guantanamo detainees will get swine flu vaccines, with GOP leaders like John Boehner and (independent) Joe Lieberman blasting the adminstation for giving the vaccine to detainees before Americans.

The Pentagon confirms that, yes, the Gitmo detainees will get the vaccine — eventually. But they’re low priority, and they will not get it before active duty troops.

At today’s White House press briefing, Robert Gibbs bristled when he was pressed on the point, saying: “There is no vaccine in Guantanamo and there’s no vaccine on the way to Guantanamo.”

According to Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman, this is narrowly true — there’s no vaccine on the way to Gitmo right now. Whitman tells our reporter, Amanda Erickson, that the vaccine will be doled out in several categories: First to U.S. military forces, beginning with active duty, then to deployed health care workers, then civilian employees, and finally detainees.

“The detainee population won’t be vaccinated until all category one personnel are immunized,” Whitman confirmed, referring to active duty troops. It’s unclear how the vaccine supply will be staggered among the remaining categories, because it’s unclear how quickly the Pentagon will get back up vaccine supplies, but it’s clear that the troops will get it first.

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Update: In fairness, the main criticism was that detainees would get the vaccine before some Americans, not just before the troops. I’ve edited the above to clarify. Still, active duty troops get it first.

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