10 - Restricting personal freedoms Flashcards
which socioeconomic groups are disproportionately affected by the pandemic, and why?
American Indian, African American, and Latino populations in the US. Disparity stems from external factors like social, economic, and political environments rather than biological vulnerabilities. Such inequalities extend beyond COVID-19, forming a social gradient in health, where disadvantaged groups face higher risks in various health context
what does prioritising fairness in pandemic responses imply?
redistributing controllable health risk determinants, enhancing socioeconomic conditions, and providing targeted interventions, such as accessible vaccines and income support. Prioritizing fairness in pandemic responses not only aligns with distributive justice but also maximizes lives saved.
why does hirose argue vaccine nationalism isnt inherently unethical?
Firstly, no country can entirely avoid it, as governments are obligated to protect their citizens, and citizens can influence their leaders through democratic processes. Secondly, a series of thought experiments involving life vests in sinking boats suggests that prioritizing one’s own residents is justifiable, especially when urgency levels differ.
what does the critique of vaccine nationalism address, according to Hirose?
The critique of vaccine nationalism is seen as more appropriately addressing unfair global vaccine distribution and lack of urgency rather than condemning prioritization of residents.
what are the three phases of the Fair Priority Model (FPM)?
(1) reducing premature deaths, (2) alleviating economic and social deprivations, and (3) diminishing community transmission
outline criticisms of the FPM
in Phase 1, where it prioritizes countries with lower life expectancies, potentially neglecting urgent needs. The objections include the counterintuitive allocation of vaccines and a misunderstanding of the benefits in terms of life years saved. Phase 2’s complexity is highlighted, suggesting excess mortality as a simpler indicator. Phase 3 introduces urgency consideration but comes late in the distribution process. The overall critique questions the FPM’s ethical grounding, its prioritization criteria, and the timing of urgency consideration, suggesting alternative approaches to achieve fair global vaccine distribution.
what would an alternative to the FPM be?
COVAX facility
what is COVAX and what is its phases?
COVAX, led by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the WHO, adopts a simpler two-phase allocation mechanism. Phase 1 involves proportional allocation to cover 3% and later 20% of each country’s population, prioritizing health workers and high-risk groups. Phase 2 utilizes a weighted allocation based on risk assessmen
upon which principle does COVAX operate?
LIVES
which 5 factors should guide the choice of metrics for each phase of global vaccine allocation, according to Emmanuel et al.?
(i) fidelity to the underlying ethical values;
(ii) simplicity;
(iii) previous use in global health and development;
(iv) ease of obtaining rapid but reasonable estimates as the pandemic evolves;
(v) se sitivity to relevant harms that are difficult to measure directly.
which dimensions of harm are considered important, according to Emanuel et al?
hree dimensions of harm are important. Are the harms irreversible? How devastating are they? And can they be compensated?
when is vaccine nationalism ethical and unethical?
VACCINE NATIONALISM:
Ethical when defended by a country’s right and duty to prioritize its own citizens.
Unethical when looking at the fact that people’s entitlement to lifesaving resources should not depend on nationality (absolute priority is not ethical)
which three fundamental values drive vaccine nationalism?
- Benefiting people(protecting people against death and morbidity caused by infection) and limiting harm
- Prioritizing the disadvantaged (assessing different types of disadvantage)
- Equal moral concern (treating similar individuals similarly and not discriminating on the basis of morally irrelevant differences)
what are 3 objections, and their responses, to the FPM?
Countries should only receive vaccines if they have the proper infrastructure → fair allocation may be conditional on infrastructural capacity and might also require efforts to help poorer countries develop such infrastructure. Fair distribution is more problematic → As long as individuals benefit, fair global distribution among countries should neither require that intranational distribution of a vaccine be perfectly just nor seek to punish unrelated injustices.
The model unfairly disadvantages countries that have effectively suppressed viral transmission without a vaccine and rewards those who have responded ineffectively → medicine espouses treating people regardless of responsibility for their illness and it notably allocates vaccine on the basis of expected benefits
Metrics are too uncertain → In a novel, rapidly evolving pandemic there needs approximations as well as judgment
