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COVID-19, the Immune System, and Organic Disability
Miguel Angel Ramiro Avilés1, Íñigo De Miguel Beriain2
1School of Law, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
Asian Bioethics Review
|November 21, 2022
Summary
Even with safe vaccines, some individuals remain vulnerable to COVID-19 due to not being vaccinated. This includes those with clinical contraindications and vaccine refusers, requiring different societal approaches.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Public Health
- Bioethics
Background:
- Safe and effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are available.
- Vaccination is a primary strategy for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic.
- A segment of the population remains unvaccinated, posing a public health challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and categorize unvaccinated individuals.
- To analyze the distinct reasons for vaccine refusal or inability to vaccinate.
- To propose differentiated ethical and policy responses for vulnerable unvaccinated groups.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of vaccination status and vulnerability.
- Distinction between voluntary and involuntary non-vaccination.
- Application of social model of disability principles.
Main Results:
- Two primary groups of unvaccinated individuals identified: clinically unable to achieve immunity and voluntary refusers.
- Vulnerability to COVID-19 is common to both groups, but reasons and ethical considerations differ.
- Involuntarily vulnerable individuals may require societal support akin to disability accommodations.
Conclusions:
- Societal responses to non-vaccinated individuals must differentiate between those who cannot be vaccinated and those who refuse.
- Ethical frameworks and protective policies should be tailored to the specific circumstances of each group.
- The social model of disability offers a relevant framework for addressing the needs of involuntarily vulnerable populations.
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