Non-Maleficence, Social Benefit and the Vaccination of Children.
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Authors
Publication Date
2022-04-01Journal Title
R I Med J (2013)
ISSN
0363-7913
Volume
105
Issue
3
Pages
9-12
Type
Article
This Version
AM
Physical Medium
Electronic
Metadata
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John, S. (2022). Non-Maleficence, Social Benefit and the Vaccination of Children.. R I Med J (2013), 105 (3), 9-12. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.83944
Abstract
Public health policy often involves a trade-off between promoting population health and protecting the interests of identifiable individuals. This paper analyses this trade-off as it arises in the context of decisions about the vaccination of children against Covid-19, where vaccination may be in the interests of society as a whole, as a means to stopping transmission, but not in the interests of individual children. The paper argues that the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation resolved this tension by appeal to a version of a non-maleficence principle. It argues that, while this principle can be a useful guide to some public health policy decision-making, it is inappropriate in the case of vaccination.
Keywords
Covid-19, public health ethics, public health policy, vaccination ethics, COVID-19, Child, Humans, Vaccination
Sponsorship
British Academy (COV19\200862)
Embargo Lift Date
2100-01-01
Identifiers
This record's DOI: https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.83944
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/336524
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