So I wake up this lovely fall morning after a weekend of Halloween revelry, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (because of the time change not because I have any real energy) and ready to take on the NEXT rapidly approaching holiday THANKSGIVING… when I was met with this headline online:

GITMO DETAINEES SET TO RECEIVE SWINE FLU VACCINE

That’s right.  Guantanamo Bay prisoners (people suspected of being terrorists and wanting to kill us mind you) are getting the swine flu vaccine!

Now on the surface, that doesn’t seem like a bad thing. In fact, it’s quite humane. And I’m sure, very important for international relations. All good, right? Well, yeah, except that I CAN’T GET THE VACCINE FOR MY OWN KID!

My kid, who is right smack in the priority group on two fronts: her age and the fact that she has an underlying condition. My kid, whom the pediatrican has said without hesitation should get the shot. My kid, who, if she contracted the H1N1 virus, would be in danger of having the most severe reactions.

But no. It’s not available to her.

You know who it’s available to?  Prisoners. Criminals. Potential Terrorists. And okay, even if you bring up the whole innocent until proven guilty thing…these guys ARE NOT IN THE HIGH PRIORITY/HIGH RISK GROUP! Are they children? Are they pregnant women? NO!

I am not saying that unpopular groups shouldn’t get the vaccine. I’m saying those at risk should get it first!

You know, this isn’t the first screw-up the government has made in handling this whole swine flu vaccine distribution.

Recently they made limited supplies of the vaccine available at various centers around the greater Los Angeles area. But ONLY to people who do not have health insurance or a regular health care provider.

Hey, I’m fine with that. IF they gave my pediatrician some of the vaccine. But they didn’t.  I have checked daily with the pediatrician’s office and my local urgent care down the hill… neither has gotten it. And they don’t know WHEN they’ll get it either.  It wasn’t even available at UCLA Medical Center Mattel’s Children Hospital last week where I took Julia to see a specialist for, that’s right, her underlying condition.  They had only gotten a very limited supply and used it on the most seriously ill children and are unsure when they’ll get more.

Children’s Hospitals filled with seriously ill children can’t get enough H1N1 vaccine and they’re giving it to Gitmo detainees?!?

So anyway, because we had a doctor, we stayed away from the vaccine distribution centers. But guess what? Lots of people showed up who not only had insurance, but also were not in the priority groups. AND THEY GAVE IT TO THESE PEOPLE ANYWAY! And guess what happened next? They ran out of flu vaccine. So thousands of people who actually are at risk, like my daughter, didn’t get it.

That’s the government for you.

And now they’re giving it to “detainees”? Over children? Over pregnant women who are extremely high risk?Are you freaking kidding me?

A spokesman for Physicians For Human Rights, an international medical group, said there are “certain basic obligations the U.S. has to its prisoners,” and that vaccinations for influenza fall into that category.

Hey, U.S. government! You have an obligation to the children of this country too. You want to protect them against potential danger? How about starting with a potentially life-saving flu vaccine?