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Response
Persuasion, not coercion or incentivisation, is the best means of promoting COVID-19 vaccination
  1. Susan Pennings1,
  2. Xavier Symons2
  1. 1 Department of Philosophy, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
  2. 2 Plunkett Centre for Ethics, The Australian Catholic University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  1. Correspondence to Xavier Symons, Plunkett Centre for Ethics, Australian Catholic University, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia; xavier.symons{at}acu.edu.au

Abstract

Savulescu (forthcoming) argues that it may be ethically acceptable for governments to require citizens be vaccinated against COVID-19. He also recommends that governments consider providing monetary or in-kind incentives to citizens to increase vaccination rates. In this response, we argue against mandatory vaccination and vaccine incentivisation, and instead suggest that targeted public health messaging and a greater responsiveness to the concerns of vaccine-hesitant individuals would be the best strategy to address low vaccination rates.

  • COVID-19
  • public health ethics
  • coercion
  • informed consent
  • public policy

This article is made freely available for use in accordance with BMJ’s website terms and conditions for the duration of the covid-19 pandemic or until otherwise determined by BMJ. You may use, download and print the article for any lawful, non-commercial purpose (including text and data mining) provided that all copyright notices and trade marks are retained.

https://bmj.com/coronavirus/usage

https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2020-107076

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    Footnotes

    • Twitter @xaviersymons

    • Contributors SP produced the first draft of this response article. XS edited the draft and wrote the discussion of alternative strategies to address vaccine hesitancy.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

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