title: Ethical evaluation of compulsory measles immunisation as a benchmark for good health management in the European Union.
abstract: The results of the study Benchmarking Regional Health Management II suggest that compulsory measles immunisation is a good practice in public health management. Yet, the potential achievement of the desired health outcome alone is not a sufficient reason to make the immunisation obligatory. Rather, compulsory measles immunisation is a morally challenging measure. In this article, compulsory measles immunisation is critically evaluated from a public health ethics point of view. For this evaluation, a set of ethical criteria is proposed: respect for autonomy, health maximisation, efficiency, proportionality and social justice. The authors suggest it should not be taken for granted that compulsory measles immunisation should be championed, rather, health policy makers in the European Union should try to raise immunisation rates with non-compulsory means.
authors.affiliation: Department of International Health, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, The Netherlands. Peter.Schroder@INTHEALTH.unimaas.nl
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schröder-Bäck
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brand
authors.forename: Ixhel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Escamilla
authors.forename: John K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Kieran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hickey
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jelastopulu
authors.forename: Reli
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mechtler
authors.forename: Jaroslav
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Volf
mesh_terms: D019985:Benchmarking / Q000941:ethics* / Q000379:methods*; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000941:ethics*; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D028723:Personhood; D015980:Public Health Practice / Q000941:ethics*; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012935:Social Justice
chemical_list: D008458:Measles Vaccine