Ethics and Law: Should Parents Have a Right to Refuse Vaccination and Immunization of Their Children?

Running Head: Ethics and law 1
Ethics and Law

Ethics Law 2
Executive Summary:
Number of controversies arose in relation to immunization safety and these controversies results
in the refusal made by the parents in context of vaccination of their children’s. This paper mainly
investigates the reasons because of which parents refuse to provide vaccination to their child,
concerns of parents related to immunization safety, and also their source of information. This
paper also highlights the rights of children’s to get vaccination and best standards of health.
Whether vaccination is voluntary or compulsory, this question includes difficult ethical
perspectives and best interest of the child. It must be noted that the most important measure
which prevent the infectious diseases is the vaccination and immunization. It is very important
for boosting the immunity system of the human body by motivating the body to generate
antibodies for fighting with different diseases. Vaccination is considered as deferral of weakened
live or it finishes the microorganisms which are administered for the purpose of boosting
immunity.

Ethics Law 3
Contents
Executive Summary:....................................................................................................................................2
Introduction:...............................................................................................................................................4
Ethical perspective related to medical practice:..........................................................................................5
Utilitarianism theory................................................................................................................................5
Deontology theory:..................................................................................................................................5
Virtue Ethics:...........................................................................................................................................5
Basic Principles of Medical ethics:...........................................................................................................6
Autonomy:...........................................................................................................................................6
Non-Maleficence:................................................................................................................................6
Beneficence:........................................................................................................................................6
Justice:.................................................................................................................................................7
Legal perspective related to medical practice:............................................................................................7
Parent’s right related to their children’s vaccination:.................................................................................8
A child’s right to health services:.................................................................................................................9
Solutions and guidelines adopted to resolve this issue:............................................................................10
Conclusion:................................................................................................................................................10
References:................................................................................................................................................11

Ethics Law 4
Introduction:
This section defines the meaning and importance of vaccination and immunization for the
children’s and human body. It also states the different aspects of vaccination and immunization
in children’s from medical point of view. This part further includes the structure of the paper.
Vaccines play most important role in reducing the infection among the population, as they are
considered as important weapon for fighting against the diseases such as because of the
vaccination programs various diseases are eliminated and it is difficult to find these diseases in
the children like smallpox, polio palsy, diphtheria complications, or death and brain damage
from measles. This can be understood through example, 1 in every 200 polio infections result in
irreversible paralysis, and from these paralyzed children’s almost 5-10% are died when their
breathing muscles become immobilized. There is no medicine for polio, and it can only be
prevented (World Health Organization, 2013). One more example is there, diphtheria
vaccinations is very important for patients because even with treatment, almost 1 out of 10
diphtheria patients dies because of the airway blockage, myocarditis, or severe pneumonia with
respiratory failure (World Health Organization, 2014). It must be noted that the most important
measure which prevent the infectious diseases is the vaccination and immunization. It is very
important for boosting the immunity system of the human body by motivating the body to
generate antibodies for fighting with different diseases. Vaccination is considered as deferral of
weakened live or it finishes the microorganisms which are administered for the purpose of
boosting immunity. Immunization movement of the childhood witnessed highly success from
last few years (Pollard, 2007). However, public shows their concerns over the safety and
accuracy of the vaccines and ask number of questions in this context.
Vaccination protects the children from serious illness and it is more important in case of
children’s, as vaccine protect the children’s from different diseases such as paralysis of limbs,
hearing loss, convulsions, brain damage, and death. It is the right of every child to get best
standard of health and vaccinations so that they get protection from various infectious diseases.
However, in some cases parents refuse to get their children’s vaccinated because of different
believes they hold (Vaccine Information, n.d.). This paper discusses the question “Should
parents have a right to refuse vaccination and immunization of their children? Discuss this
position from an ethical and legal perspective”. Structure of this report includes ethical & legal