Posts Tagged ‘Vaccination’
CMDA Should (Re)-Assert Support for Childhood Vaccination
The current measles outbreak in Texas, the ascension of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to the post of Secretary of Health and Human Services and broad societal trends have prompted widespread debate over the wisdom and future of vaccinating children for preventable infectious diseases with meaningful, even major, morbidity and mortality.
Read MoreTransgender Identification Ethics Statement
A novel way of thinking about one’s body has entered into popular culture. “Transgender” individuals refer to their “gender” as a sexual identity that may be male or female, something in between, or neither. This self-identification differs from, and takes priority over, their biological sex as recognized in their chromosomal DNA and innate physical sexual characteristics.
Read MoreETHICAL VACCINES: Ready for a shot in the arm?
With millions of COVID-19 vaccine doses already plunged into American arms and hundreds of million more doses on the way, can healthcare professionals confidently receive the vaccines themselves and also recommend them for patients?
While responses to this question often involve important emotional factors that need to be addressed, this article focuses on three rational considerations: safety, efficacy and ethics.
Read MoreVaccines and Conscience Protection
It has been over a year since the first diagnosis of COVID-19 in the United States. Due to this pandemic’s effects, our society has experienced limitations in personal freedoms to a level we have never known. Social interactions and work environments have been changed by social distancing, masks, hospital and nursing home visitation restrictions and working from home. Freedom of movement about our communities and the nation has been limited by “stay-at-home orders” and mass travel restrictions. The availability of vaccines provides a sliver of hope but also raises many questions. Issues our society must address include prioritizing equitable vaccine distribution and the potential for coercive mandates on vaccine use.
Read MorePhysician Support for Ethical Vaccines
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, our society has had to adapt to unprecedented restrictions and limitations. During this trying time, it has been difficult to find points of optimism. The rapid development of vaccine candidates utilizing varied techniques remains encouraging.
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