The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every human being on the planet and forced us all to reflect on the bioethical issues it raises. In this timely book, Gregory Pence examines a number of relevant issues, including the fair allocation of scarce medical resources, immunity passports, tradeoffs between protecting senior citizens and allowing children to flourish, discrimination against minorities and the disabled, and the myriad issues raised by vaccines.
*Review*
“Gregory Pence’s Pandemic Bioethics offers readers a sweeping, whirlwind tour of many of the ethical challenges encountered as SARS CoV-2 emerged and devastated the globe. Pence is a skilled storyteller, educating readers about the historical context of pandemics and the ethical questions unfolding with real-time medical, research, and societal successes and failures. Consistent with his longstanding attention to classic and ground-breaking cases in medical ethics, Pence challenges readers to capitalize on lessons learned from COVID-19 in order to make appropriate ethical decisions during this pandemic―and in ones to come.” ― Christine Grady, Chief of the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
“Pandemic Bioethics is an extraordinary achievement. Pence expertly blends a wide range of relevant information about the pandemic with a variety of ethical theories to explore the many issues the pandemic raises for bioethics. This book could serve as the basis for a course in bioethics, but it is so readable that it should interest anyone who wants a better understanding of decision making during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.” ― Peter Singer, Professor of Bioethics, Princeton University
“Pandemic Bioethics has it all, addressing historical and modern pandemics, policymaking and triage decisions, the development and allocation of vaccines, and current issues concerning privacy rights and vaccine ‘passports.’ This book is timely and necessary reading.” ― Jennifer Parks, Professor of Philosophy, Loyola University Chicago
“Pandemic Bioethics is a much-needed resource for educating health-care professionals, government leaders, and the general public about the history of infectious disease outbreaks and how to evaluate the ethical propriety of various public health measures. Pence’s book will be an invaluable tool as the world prepares for the next major outbreak.” ― Jason T. Eberl, Professor of Health Care Ethics and Philosophy, Saint Louis University
Author(s): Pence, Gregory
Publisher: Broadview Press
Year: 2021
Language: English
Pages: 361
City: Ontario, Canada
Tags: Pandemic, Medical ethics, Bioethics, Public health
Title Page
Copyright
Contents
Preface
Chapter 1: Historical Epidemics
The Spanish Flu of 1918
Cholera
Plague
Smallpox
Yellow Fever
Malaria
Chapter 2: Modern Viral Pandemics
Polio
Asian Flu of 1957 and Hong Kong Flu of 1968
Ebola
Swine Flu of 1976
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
SARS1
Swine Flu of 2009
Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)
Zika
Other Viral Diseases Affecting Humans
Chapter 3: The Medical Nature of SARS2
Disputed Origins of SARS2
The Clinical Course of COVID-19
Transmission and Immunity
Chapter 4: Policies for Containment
Quarantine as a Preventive Allocation Strategy
Four Models of Fighting Pandemics
Successes and Failures around the World
Intermittent Lockdowns, Denial, and the American Confusion
Chapter 5: Who Should Live When Not All Can?
Ethical Theories as Guides
Historical Background: The God Committee and Social Worth
A Relevant Digression: “Sickest First” Allocation and UNOS
Enter Bioethicists
Saints and Sacrifice
Covid, Cognitively Challenged Patients, and Rights of Disabled Persons
Unexpected Allocation Issues
Chapter 6: Developing Vaccines
A Brief History of Vaccines
Kinds of Vaccines
Ethical Issues in Developing Vaccines
Speeding Up Development of Experimental Vaccines
Other Problems with Vaccine Trials
Politics and Vaccines for Covid
Chapter 7: Allocating Vaccines
Success with Quick Production of Vaccines
The CDC and the States
Ability to Pay and Access to Vaccines
Allocation Priorities
Vaccination Complexities
Mandatory Vaccinations
Global Vaccine Distribution
Possible Bad Scenarios
Chapter 8: Acts and Omissions, the Trolley Problem, and Prisoner’s Dilemmas
Acts versus Omissions
The Trolley Problem
Prisoner’s Dilemmas and Vaccination Uptake
Chapter 9: Liberty and Privacy
Philosophical Positions on Liberty
Problems of Contact Tracing
Controlling Pandemics versus Protecting Privacy
Privacy of Genetic Information Collected during Testing in Pandemics
Chapter 10: Status Certificates
Defining Key Terms
What Is the Purpose of Status Certificates?
Benefits of Status Certificates
Problems with Status Certificates
Chapter 11: Structural Inequalities and Vulnerable Groups
Who Is Most Vulnerable in a Pandemic?
Differences in Efforts to Control Infection in Different Vulnerable Groups
Chapter 12: Leadership during Pandemics
Leadership and the Virtue of Trust
The WHO’s Leaders Made Mistakes
Donald Trump and American Leadership
Judgment of US Leaders during the Pandemic
Chapter 13: The Future
The Future of COVID-19
Lessons to Learn
More Pandemics Will Come
What Will Happen Next?
Notes
Acknowledgments
About the Author
