The First Daughters, Malia and Sasha, have gotten their swine flu shots, according to The New York Times. The White House administration posted this information on its Web site today: “President Obama and his wife Michelle will “wait until the needs of the priority groups”–including young people under 24, pregnant women and people with underlying illnesses–have been vaccinated. But Malia, 11, and Sasha, 8, fall within the priority groups, and they received their injections last week from the White House doctor, who applied for the vaccine through the District of Columbia Department of Health “using the same process as every other vaccination site in the District.”
At this time, the administration is grappling with questions about why the H1N1 vaccine is not more readily available. Medical officials, including the secretary of heath and human services, Kathleen Sebelius, say the holdup is with the manufacturers, whose production process has been slower than anticipated. But at the same time, the White House may be trying to set a positive example amid concerns about the vaccine’s safety.
Sharing news that the President has allowed his own daughters to receive the shots could dismiss the fears of ordinary Americans who are wondering whether or not to get vaccinated.–BB