COVID-19 vaccine debate
Whether or not people will get vaccinated against COVID-19 is shaping up to be a “huge issue,” says Northwestern ethicist
CHICAGO --- Dr. Kelly Michelson, director of the Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, says whether or not people will get vaccinated against COVID-19 is shaping up to be a “huge issue.”
Michelson is available to discuss the concerns and ethical issues around vaccinations, following a poll reporting only half of Americans say they would get a COVID-19 vaccination. The poll, by Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, showed one in five respondents said they would flat-out refuse vaccination.
Contact marla-paul@northwestern.edu to reach Dr. Michelson.
Michelson can discuss several issues about a COVID-19 vaccination including:
- “If we have an effective safe vaccine, who gets it and how is it paid for?”
- “We've seen other therapies, like remdesivir, used in clinical practice without a lot of data.”
- “Some people may feel uncomfortable about getting an immunization without a clearly defined risk profile.”
- “Some people may feel they are at little risk of getting sick or dying from COVID-19 and therefore choose not to get the immunization.”
- “Whether there is a mandate to vaccinate people will be a function of its effectiveness and duration.”