Open AccessThe Moral Justification for a Compulsory Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Program
Author(s) -
Joseph E. Balog
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.2007.131656
Subject(s) - harm , vaccination , morality , intervention (counseling) , autonomy , government (linguistics) , value (mathematics) , public health , human papillomavirus , political science , medicine , psychology , law , criminology , immunology , psychiatry , nursing , linguistics , philosophy , machine learning , computer science
Compulsory human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination of young girls has been proposed as a public health intervention to reduce the threat of the disease. Such a program would entail a symbiotic relationship between scientific interests in reducing mortality and morbidity and philosophical interests in promoting morality. This proposal raises the issue of whether government should use its police powers to restrict liberty and parental autonomy for the purpose of preventing harm to young people. I reviewed the scientific literature that questions the value of a HPV vaccination. Applying a principle-based approach to moral reasoning, I concluded that compulsory HPV vaccinations can be justified on moral, scientific, and public health grounds.