6.3.3 Ethical Considerations

• What is vaccination designed to induce?

  Artificial immunity
• Vaccination introduces weakened or inactivated pathogens
• Vaccination provides long-term protection against specific diseases.
• What is the role of memory cells in vaccination?

  Quicker immune response
• Vaccination generates memory cells, which enable a quicker and stronger response upon future exposure
• Steps of how vaccination works

  1️⃣ Weakened or inactivated pathogens are introduced into the body

  2️⃣ The immune system produces antibodies

  3️⃣ Memory cells are generated

  4️⃣ Long-term immunity is conferred
• Match the key term with its explanation:

  Weakened/Inactivated Pathogens ↔️ Modified viruses or bacteria that do not cause disease

  Antibodies ↔️ Proteins that neutralize pathogens

  Memory Cells ↔️ Immune cells that remember past pathogens

  Long-term Immunity ↔️ Immunity that lasts for years or a lifetime
• Mandatory vaccination infringes on individual autonomy.
• What ethical principle is concerned with protecting individuals from harm in vaccination?

  Non-maleficence
• Equitable access to vaccines for all populations addresses the principle of justice
• Herd immunity protects unvaccinated individuals in a population.
• What is a common risk associated with vaccination?

  Potential side effects
• Herd immunity reduces disease transmission, protecting those who cannot be vaccinated
• What does the MMR vaccine provide immunity against?

  Measles, mumps, and rubella
• Weighing the benefits of vaccination against its risks is a dilemma related to beneficence.
• What ethical principle ensures vaccines are rigorously tested to minimize harm?

  Non-maleficence
• Individuals have the right to decide whether or not to vaccinate
• Mandating vaccination infringes personal freedom.
• What is the ethical concern related to weighing the benefits of vaccination against its risks?

  Beneficence
• Rigorous testing is essential to ensure vaccines do not cause harm
• Ensuring equitable access to vaccines addresses disparities in availability.
• Match the ethical concern with its explanation:

  Autonomy ↔️ Right to decide whether to vaccinate

  Beneficence ↔️ Vaccination promotes public health

  Non-maleficence ↔️ Vaccines should not cause harm

  Justice ↔️ Equitable access to vaccines
• Ethical concerns in vaccination highlight the complexity of balancing individual rights with public health interests
• What is a common risk associated with vaccination?

  Potential side effects
• Herd immunity occurs when a large proportion of a population is vaccinated
• What are the two main consequences of vaccination?

  Benefits and risks
• Herd immunity is achieved only when a large majority of the population is vaccinated.
• Herd immunity is a key benefit of vaccination, protecting vulnerable groups
• What is the primary public health benefit of mandatory vaccination?

  Herd immunity
• Forcing vaccination infringes upon the ethical principle of individual autonomy
• Legal precedents often favor public welfare when it protects the community from significant harm.
• What are the three key elements for balancing public health and individual rights in vaccination policies?

  Education, incentives, accommodations