Individual freedoms versus collective responsibility: immunization decision-making in the face of occasionally competing values
2006
Balancing Individual Rights and Public Health in Vaccination Decisions
Commentary
Author Information
Author(s): Daniel A Salmon, Saad B Omer
Conclusion
There are ethical justifications for restricting individual rights in vaccination to protect community health, but such restrictions must meet specific conditions.
Supporting Evidence
- Vaccines are important for protecting both individuals and the community from diseases.
- Some people refuse vaccines due to personal beliefs, which can lead to outbreaks of preventable diseases.
- The government may need to step in to ensure public health when individual choices threaten community safety.
Takeaway
Sometimes, the government needs to make rules about vaccines to keep everyone safe, even if it means telling some people what to do with their own health.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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