Mandatory vaccination has been a controversial issue for a long time; however, it became especially relevant during a pandemic. The development of new vaccines makes some people happy as they can protect themselves from disease and stop a pandemic and cause others concerns due to possible side effects. For this reason, this paper will examine the ethics of compulsory vaccination and its impact on society.
Mandatory vaccination is a policy adopted by many countries worldwide to protect their populations from infectious diseases. However, any vaccine has a number of side effects that, in rare cases, lead to death or severe health consequences. At the same time, this harm is minor, and the benefits of creating herd immunity and stopping the spread of diseases are much higher (Colgrove, 2019). Hence, the ethical question is whether a state can sacrifice a part of its citizens for the safety of the majority. Another moral issue is the right to refuse vaccination for non-medical reasons since people who voluntarily avoid immunization endanger those who cannot receive it for medical reasons (Savulescu, 2021; Colgrove, 2019). For example, there is a question about the need for mandatory vaccination of children against COVID-19, since they have a low risk of being infected and had severe health outcomes but are at risk of vaccine side effects (Savulescu et al., 2021). However, since children can be carriers of the virus, failure to immunize them endangers other people.
Therefore, while the issue of mandatory immunization raises many ethical questions, the perceived benefits are much greater than the harm. Vaccination can save millions of lives from infectious diseases and their complications and benefit society. At the same time, most people who avoid immunization do not have good reasons for this but are guided by myths and fears. Thus, while compulsory immunization partially restricts people’s freedoms, they are necessary, as are laws or social behavior rules.
References
Colgrove, J. (2019). Immunization and ethics: Beneficence, Coercion, public health, and the state.The Oxford Handbook of Public Health Ethics, 434–447. Web.
Savulescu, J. (2021). Good reasons to vaccinate: Mandatory or payment for risk?Journal of Medical Ethics, 47(2), 78-85. Web.
Savulescu, J., Giubilini, A., & Danchin, M. (2021). Global ethical considerations regarding mandatory vaccination in children.The Journal of Pediatrics. Web.