Ethical Vaccine Allocation
Overview
When you are considering responses to healthcare situations, it is important to be able to quickly identify the underlying ethical and bioethical theories driving a proposed solution. While completing the Ethical Theories Worksheet, consider the core elements of the theory that must be addressed in the solution.
Prompt
In this activity, you will utilize the main ethical and bioethical theories in solutions to a proposed scenario.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
- Part One: Propose a solution to the following scenario using each of the five ethical theories presented in this module. Explain how your solution aligns with the major ideas within each theory.
Scenario: There is a pandemic of a contagious disease. In the United States, there is only enough of a vaccine to cover 70% of the population. How do you determine who gets the vaccine?
- Part Two: Consider the same scenario, but explain what process you would need to add to your solution to protect the bioethics principles.
If you use resources, cite them according to APA formatting.
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Ethical Vaccine Allocation
Utilitarianism Approach
Utilitarianism seeks to maximize overall well-being. Under this theory, the vaccine should be given to those who can prevent the most harm or save the most lives. Priority would go to healthcare workers, essential personnel, and individuals in high-transmission zones. This ensures the greatest benefit for the largest number. The decision focuses on outcome-driven effectiveness and reducing the disease’s spread and mortality.
Deontological Ethics
Deontology emphasizes duty, rules, and moral obligations. From this perspective, all individuals have equal rights to vaccination, regardless of outcome. A fair and transparent lottery system could be implemented to avoid bias. Even if not outcome-optimizing, this approach respects individuals as ends in themselves. Ethical actions, not consequences, drive the solution.
Virtue Ethics
Virtue ethics focuses on moral character and virtues such as compassion, justice, and prudence. In this view, decision-makers should model ethical integrity and empathy. They would prioritize the most vulnerable, such as the older or immunocompromised. This aligns with the virtues of care and justice, demonstrating moral excellence in leadership during crisis.
Protecting Bioethical Principles
To align with bioethical principles—autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice—transparency and informed consent are crucial. A vaccine distribution framework should include public input, clear communication, and accountability mechanisms. This ensures trust and fairness. Ethical review boards should oversee decisions to avoid discrimination and ensure that resource allocation remains equitable and medically sound (Beauchamp & Childress, 2019).
