Ethics and Pitfalls of Vaccine Mandates

Abstract

As of November 24, 2021, there have been 47,916,623 total cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19) and 773,779 deaths in the United States (asamonitor.pub/3vkk3fs). Vaccination can potentially halt spread of the virus, prevent severe disease in individuals who develop breakthrough infections, and permit the return to normal economic and social life (JAMA 2021;325:532-3; asamonitor.pub/3yZPLRB). The Food and Drug Administration has authorized three COVID-19 vaccines for administration under emergency use authorization (EUA): Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) (asamonitor.pub/3rlS6FE).