H1N1: should athletes be a priority in line?

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Jennifer Squires
One Viewpoint:

REGINA (CUP) - Recently we’ve been hearing a lot about professional athletes in Ontario and Alberta that have skipped the H1N1 vaccination queue. What gives them the right to do this?   

What makes these athletes think they are more at risk than anyone else? Members of the Toronto Raptors and Toronto Maple Leafs are believed to have skipped the queue and gotten vaccinations when thousands of children haven’t received theirs yet. Are these athletes more important than highly vulnerable children?   

Ontario Health Minister Deb Matthews told the Canadian Press, I don’t care who you are, how rich you are, how famous you are, if you’re not in the priority group, get out of the line and let the people who are in the priority groups get their vaccination.

The teams are defending themselves, saying that the athletes are at high risk due to excessive contact with other players, fans and their heavy travel schedule. Clearly their spokespeople know more about those at risk than health professionals.

This also happened in Alberta when members of the Calgary Flames got the vaccine ahead of priority groups, resulting in the government of Alberta firing two health care workers.

A spokesman for the Ottawa Senators said that the team has not received the vaccine and their players are waiting, like other non-priority groups. We are waiting in line just like everyone else here in Ottawa, Phil Legault told the Canadian Press. They’ll wait in line until it’s their turn.

Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath told the Canadian Press that it’s insulting that millionaire athletes received the vaccine while other people, including children, are dying in the province.

I thought that we were out of the ages where people with money get preferential treatment. Money doesn’t make people and non-experts shouldn’t be deciding who is at risk and deserves the vaccine.

Now Dr. Bob McCormack, the Canadian Olympic team’s chief medical officer is calling for Olympic athletes to be a priority when it comes to the vaccines. He claims that the Olympic games are a breeding ground for the virus because the athletes are living so close to each other.

If the Olympic Games are a breeding ground for the virus, cancel them. If this really is a huge problem, we shouldn’t be encouraging people to live in such close quarters. If the games really are a breeding ground then all the fans that attend should be vaccinated also. It’s the same logic.

Whatever happened to women and children first? I know it’s a terrible double standard, but men, you’re dispensable.
I’m sure some people are complaining about those in the public service sector getting their vaccines next to first, but they encounter so many people from all walks of life every single day and are most at risk because of that. Not because they are in contact with the same few people every day like professional athletes.

Why are we giving preferential treatment to athletes? They already get more then they deserve, so why do we give them more? Is it because they can run and throw balls around? Wow. What a great reason.

Anyone I’ve talked to says that athletes shouldn’t be getting this vaccine before children, elderly people, and those who are deemed as at risk.

Enyinnah Okere
Another Viewpoint:

REGINA (CUP) - There are many reasons that athletes but not their families should get priority for H1N1 vaccinations.

First, they are at a much higher risk than the average human being. These individuals, by profession, spend more time with each other than they do their families.

In the case of NHL players, it is important to note that these athletes share the same facilities. We have all heard that athletes share simple things such as water bottles.

This is only the tip of the iceberg. For four to eight months of the year, athletes will be sharing flights, team buses, and hotel rooms.

Now I have only spoken about the dangers that these athletes face from their teammates. It is important to address that they are in danger by coming into contact with their daily opponents. You may be able to control the conditions of your own locker rooms, but one has no control over the facilities of your opponents.

Fortunately, or unfortunately in this case, most professional athletes are mandated to interact with their fans. This entails autograph sessions, meet-and-greets, and other charitable activities. This means they are exposed to a wide variety of potentially dangerous agents that the average individual would never come in contact with. 
   
There is also a business aspect to the issue of athletes receiving the flu shots. Owners are paying these athletes an exorbitant amount of money to perform.

It would be negligent for an owner not to ensure that his commodities are performing at their highest capabilities. The owner is at a competitive disadvantage if he or she refuses to do all they can to make sure that their players are healthy.    

Finally, there is the issue pertaining to whether some individuals in society deserve priority over others. I understand that there is a lot of anti-athlete sentiment because they make X amount of money they are not any more valuable than any ordinary individual.

Let’s be realistic, folks: as much as everyone would like to believe in equality, we live in a society where not everyone is, in fact, equal.

Some people are more valuable in society than others. It is a reality that we all have to face. Professional athletes are a valuable part of our contemporary society and it is something we will have to accept.