Vaccinations are a modern medicine success story for protection again some of the most devastating infectious diseases. More recently, certain infectious diseases like the measles, mumps, whooping cough, and COVID-19 have seen a resurgence in North America. In Ontario, immunizations are required for health care workers. France has recently announced that eight vaccines will be mandatory for students attending public school by 2018. For this assignment you will need to discuss the effectiveness of immunizations and discuss the significance of implementing mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations across Canada and the United States.
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A Case for Compulsory COVID-19 Vaccinations
Over the past two years, events globally have largely been shaped by the sudden emergence and spread of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) commonly referred to as COVID-19. This highly-infectious respiratory virus soon proved to be one of the most challenging and most disruptive events ever witnessed globally within the 21st century. Although the virus posed a considerable risk among the elderly and individuals with a low immunity profile, the virus was also responsible for the loss of livelihoods and hindered free movement owing to travel restrictions imposed as a consequence of strict lock-down mandates recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).Yet, critics this policy regarded this policy as more of a knee-jerk reaction that mostly. failed to present viable solutions to address the aforementioned challenge. Given that pharmaceutical companies such as Moderna and Pfizer were finally able to roll-out COVID-19 vaccinations (Moderna (COVID-18 mRNA) and Pfizer-BioNTech) in record time, stipulating compulsory vaccination may be a step in the right direction and may even help in the prevention and management of the disease.
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Compulsory COVID-19 Vaccinations As a Form of Community Disease Prevention
The formal adoption of legislation stipulating the terms of compulsory vaccination among the general population for highly-infectious diseases such as COVID-19 is a step in the right direction given it represents community disease prevention. This reality has often resulted in the pervasive use and application of phrases such as “herd immunity” as a term embodying the significance of community disease prevention (Baker, 2020). Such efforts are a step in the right direction since vaccinations will serve the preemptive role of safeguarding some of the most vulnerable members of society from contracting such diseases or succumbing to them in the long run. Although it is expected that a cross-section of society may view this as an infringement upon their personal and individual rights, it is important to always champion for the welfare of the majority and should always take precedence in a scenario. Moreover, such initiatives also play a crucial role in improving the awareness of individual members of society regarding their role in disease prevention.
A Compulsory COVID-19 Vaccinations Mandate will Reduce Mortality Rates
The integration of vaccination mandates into the mainstream is typically in the best interest of the public and meant to improve the quality of life and mortality among the general population. Failure to do so may result in a highly vulnerable society unable to weather the shock of hard-hitting health events such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, societies which decide to embrace compulsory vaccination mandates are also projected to experience rapid growth and development. This is evident in Austria, Venice, Italy, and Malaysia which were among the first countries to embrace mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for its population (Kass, 2021). In time, compulsory vaccination mandates are bound to create a sturdy population which cannot be threatened by preventable diseases and infections known to debilitate and decimate global population. Vaccines should always be treated as an innovative solution to possible health challenges in today’s fast-paced world and serves as an ingenious solution to boosting our immunity while preventing a whole host of infectious and highly contagious diseases.
Compulsory COVID-19 Vaccination Mandates are Efficient and Adhere to Principles of Bioethics
It is important to note that compulsory vaccination mandates reinforce the ethical nature of this particular practice as an efficient means of disease prevention. Members of the public are bound to soon become fully aware of the ethical responsibility they bear by getting vaccinated; eventually resulting in the protection of vulnerable members of society. Moreover, it serves as one of the best indications of the public’s trust in the Federal Government, especially in relation to have the public’s best interests at heart (Larkin, 2021). This would have been especially the case during the recent COVID-19 pandemic since such actions would have been interpreted as altruism and standing by ethical values upholding the overall good of society. It is also worth noting that compulsory vaccination mandates also adhere key tenets of the practice of bioethics and are specifically meant to result in the protection of society at large. The introduction of vaccine mandates should, therefore, always be accompanied by the knowledge that any risk posed is considerably less than that posed by the disease in question hence the need for nationwide adoption.
Compulsory COVID-19 Vaccination Mandates Represent a Low-Cost Community Disease Prevention Strategy
Over the past two years, Federal healthcare agencies have systematically engaged in public awareness campaigns to improve the public’s knowledge of COVID-19 vaccination and other associated benefits. Healthcare policymakers from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have recently spearheaded public awareness campaigns to improve public awareness about the overall efficiency of vaccination as a low-cost and highly effective community disease prevention strategy. This strategy also serves as a crucial tool against vaccine hesitancy while also building the public’s confidence in federal and state agencies in charge of matters public health. Apart from being a low-cost community disease prevention strategy, mandatory vaccination also has a higher cost to benefit ratio as compared to other available alternatives (Baker, 2020). Vaccination is typically viewed as the most practical option to adopt when attempting to restore normalcy in society after addressing the negative impacts of the pandemic. It is cheaper than the restrictive lock-downs imposed globally or other alternatives such as the mask mandates and the compulsory sterilization of surfaces likely to harbor the virus.
Conclusion
Recent healthcare challenges, such as the emergence and spread of the COVID-19 virus, has prompted various key policymakers from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to clamor for the implementation and adoption of compulsory vaccination mandates. This move may, eventually, have one of the most impacting public health initiatives in the United States. Compulsory vaccination mandates should be taken into account and implemented given it is a core tenet of community disease prevention, improves the quality of life and mortality, and also based on medical bioethics. Its adoption would, therefore, mark the beginning of new dawn in public health where the public play an active role in safeguarding and protecting others through vaccination.
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