The Ethical Duty of Physicians to Strengthen Their Own Immunization and Childhood Vaccination

Abstract

Vaccines are one of the most significant discoveries of humanity and are responsible for saving millions of lives around the world. However, their unquestionable successes are criticized and lead to the refusal of parents to vaccinate their children, which causes severe public health problems. There is an ethical duty to adopt various protective measures for the child population, and doctors are considered as decisive actors to help overcome this war. The vaccination rates among doctors and children are very meager, generating a lot of discussion about the implementation of compulsory vaccination for both groups. Thus, medical ethics and bioethics point out some ways for medical professionals to recognize the imperative need for self-vaccination and their patients' sensitization to vaccination, supporting the persuasion of their colleagues and patients. Moreover, the ethical/bioethical principles of the physician's highest duty to protect the society are anchored in beneficence, not maleficence and justice, and they surpass the autonomy right to vaccine refusal. Also, it is expected that the development and dissemination of altruistic ethical values by the physicians can give significant support in the conquest of the "common good."

Abordagem epidemiológica e considerações bioéticas sobre a infecção pelo vírus da hepatite b em crianças e adolescentes no estado do acre, Brasil

“…Sendo assim, a autonomia do indivíduo pode suscetibilizá-lo a atividades comportamentais de risco, como o início precoce da atividade sexual, a promiscuidade de parceiros e o compartilhamento de objetos pessoais, assim como, relação intima sem preservativo. A fim de intervir nesses fatores, o cidadão deve ser submetido a orientação em atividades de saúde pública, acadêmica e/ou familiar, conscientizando-o sobre as infecções suscetíveis, assim como, a percepção de sua responsabilidade como "agente transmissor" (19,20).…”

“…Deve-se considerar que, sob a ótica da autonomia, qualquer noção de tomada de decisão moral pressupõe que agentes racionais estejam envolvidos. Assim, o problema clássico e ético da saúde pública é o equilíbrio entre o respeito à autonomia individual e a necessidade de medidas voltadas ao bem comum da vida coletiva, levando em conta as responsabilidades sociais e os objetivos comunitários (20,28).…”

Behavioural and Cognitive Attitudes of Paediatricians towards Influenza Self-Vaccination—Partial Mediation Model

“…Additionally, there is a moral obligation to self-vaccinate against influenza and other infectious diseases by doctors. This applies to disease prevention and public health ethics and, above all, to modelling positive behaviour among patients [13,14]. Therefore, self-vaccination among physicians is a significant factor influencing patients' behaviours and situations in health care on a macro scale.…”