Not all swine flu vaccines are created equally—just ask the Germans. On Monday, Germany launched a massive campaign to inoculate its population against the H1N1 virus, which has already infected 23,000 people there. But media reports revealed the country would employ two vaccination programs: top officials, the military, and other essential workers would get a different—and possibly better—vaccine than the general population.

The German newsmagazine Der Spiegel reported that Chancellor Angela Merkel and other government workers would get the Celvapan vaccine, which is “widely seen as safer” than the Pandemrix shot most citizens would receive. Public outrage reached fever pitch after the tabloid Bild accused the government of offering “second-class medicine” to regular people. Continue…