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THE DETERMINATION OF ‘BEST INTERESTS’ IN RELATION TO CHILDHOOD VACCINATIONS
(published in Bioethics 19(1))
Author(s) -
DAWSON ANGUS
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
bioethics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.494
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1467-8519
pISSN - 0269-9702
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8519.2005.00433.x
Subject(s) - bioethics , relation (database) , vaccination , medicine , political science , law , virology , computer science , database
ERRATUM We regret that, due to a technical error, the uncorrected version of Angus Dawson's article was printed in 19:1. We apologise to the author and reprint in full the corrected version of the paper on the following pages.A. Dawson et al. The Determination of the Best Interests in Relation to Childhood Immunisation . Bioethics 2005 ; 19 : 72 – 89 .ABSTRACT There are many different ethical arguments that might be advanced for and against childhood vaccinations. In this paper I will explore one particular argument that focuses on the idea that childhood vaccinations are justifiable because they are held to be in the best interests of a particular child. Two issues arise from this idea. The first issue is how best interests are to be determined in the case of childhood vaccinations. The second issue is what follows from this to justify potential interventions within the family in relation to such vaccinations. I argue that best interests must be characterised objectively in such situations and that this means that, in at least some cases, parental decision‐making about vaccinating their children may be overridden.