Why should HCWs receive priority access to vaccines in a pandemic?
BMC Med Ethics
; 22(1): 79, 2021 06 27.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34176474
BACKGROUND: Viral pandemics present a range of ethical challenges for policy makers, not the least among which are difficult decisions about how to allocate scarce healthcare resources. One important question is whether healthcare workers (HCWs) should receive priority access to a vaccine in the event that an effective vaccine becomes available. This question is especially relevant in the coronavirus pandemic with governments and health authorities currently facing questions of distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. MAIN TEXT: In this article, we critically evaluate the most common ethical arguments for granting healthcare workers priority access to a vaccine. We review the existing literature on this topic, and analyse both deontological and utilitarian arguments in favour of HCW prioritisation. For illustrative purposes, we focus in particular on the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine. We also explore some practical complexities attendant on arguments in favour of HCW prioritisation. CONCLUSIONS: We argue that there are deontological and utilitarian cases for prioritising HCWs. Indeed, the widely held view that we should prioritise HCWs represents an example of ethical convergence. Complexities arise, however, when considering who should be included in the category of HCW, and who else should receive priority in addition to HCWs.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Pandemias
/
COVID-19
Aspecto:
Ethics
Límite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
BMC Med Ethics
Asunto de la revista:
ETICA
Año:
2021
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Australia
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido