Ethics in a pandemic: a survey of the state pandemic influenza plans.
A pandemic of highly pathogenic influenza would threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands in the United States and confront governments and organizations, with ethical issues having wide-ranging implications. The Department of Health and Human Services and all states have published pandemic influenza plans. We analyzed the federal and state plans, available on the Internet, for evidence of ethical guidance as judged by the presence of ethical terms. The most striking finding was an absence of ethical language. Although some states acknowledged the need for ethical decisionmaking, very few prescribed how it should happen. If faced by a pandemic in the near future, we stand the risk of making many unjust and regrettable decisions.
Thomas
James C
JC
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7435, USA. jim.thomas@unc.edu
Dasgupta
Nabarun
N
Martinot
Amanda
A
D001675:Bioethics; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000600:supply & distribution; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D040841:Resource Allocation / Q000941:ethics; D013219:State Government; D014481:United States
D007252:Influenza Vaccines