WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Erik Paulsen, R-Minn., expressed his opposition Tuesday to the possibility that Guantanamo Bay detainees may receive H1N1 vaccinations.

In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Secretary of the Army John McHugh, Paulsen called the decision “entirely unacceptable” when high-risk groups across the country are still waiting to be vaccinated.

“I certainly understand the underlying problem being an overall lack of available vaccines nationwide, but I was extremely disappointed to learn that detainees currently being held at Guantanamo Bay will soon be offered H1N1 vaccination, while high-risk priority groups such as pregnant women and children in Minnesota and across the nation continue to wait for this vaccine,” Paulsen wrote.  “While it is appropriate to offer the vaccine to guards and service members stationed at Guantanamo, it is entirely unacceptable to make this vaccine available to detainees while millions of law-abiding Americans are forced to wait in line.”