Bioethics: on paying people to be vaccinated. May 14, 2021
- bjmears1
- May 14, 2021
- 2 min read
well this isn’t good. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/950756?src=wnl_edit_tpal&uac=13816HY&impID=3367385&faf=1
I think on balance this is probably not a good idea. #bioethics #vaccinations
Vaccination provides benefits to the person receiving the vaccines and helps provide protection to those around the recipient who for one reason or another cannot be vaccinated.
People have a duty to take care of their own health. I also believe we as human beings have a duty to help and protect others. We do not need to put ourselves at excessive risk but we should do what we can when there is little risk to ourselves. How much risk is “little” is a debatable point. Also, requiring vaccines with no exceptions allowed interferes with the ability of individuals to make their own decisions.
Payments to accept vaccination can provide benefits but also can cause problems.
Providing payments to reimburse people for costs related to receiving the vaccine or time needed to receive the vaccine seem reasonable. Such costs might include wages lost for missing work, travel expenses, or even baby-sitting costs if that is needed.
I have seen suggestions for a $1000 payment and a lottery ( https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/05/13/996445109/ohio-raises-the-stakes-to-boost-vaccinations-offers-5-1-million-drawings ),
Some employers are reimbursing employees for expenses and one university is raffling flex meal plans and $350 bookstore scholarships. Another is offering free tuition.
Financial inducements may mean little to someone with money to pay tuition, buy books or pay rent but if you are having problems paying your bills this may be enough to be coercive.
Other problems might be possible. Theoretically we need informed consent to give vaccines. Is it appropriate to pay to receive informed consent?
Does paying someone to have a medical procedure they would not otherwise have accepted set up an expectation that payment for future vaccines or procedures will happen?
Will paying for vaccination worsen suspicion there is something wrong with the vaccine or we wouldn’t be paying for it?
If our only goal is getting everyone in the society vaccinated then we will be sacrificing other traits we consider important.
Comments