Balancing public health and individual autonomy: a study of China's vaccination policy

The article examines China's vaccination policy, focusing particularly on childhood immunisation and pandemic vaccines. Although China's laws require individuals to engage in the vaccination decision-making process, the policy does not enforce mandatory vaccination through penalties. Instead, it emphasises informed decision-making, allowing and supporting individuals to choose whether to vaccinate or adopt other preventive measures based on their best health interests. The legal framework includes obligations for guardians to make vaccination decisions for their children, with mechanisms to encourage compliance through checking vaccination status and guiding guardians to vaccination services, rather than punishing vaccine refusal. This approach aligns with the Siracusa Principles, advocating the least restrictive measures necessary to protect public health. The article concludes that China's vaccination policy is best understood as 'mandatory decision-making', a system that balances public health objectives with individual autonomy by making the decision-making process mandatory while keeping the actual vaccination decision voluntary.