Pandemics

The author was commissioned by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics to write this paper in order to inform the Council’s discussions about possible future work on this topic. The paper is intended to provide an overview of key clinical, ethical, social, legal and policy issues, but is not intended to offer any conclusions or recommendations regarding future policy and practice. Any views expressed in the paper are the author’s own and not those of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.

Authors

Giovanni De Grandis, University College London

Jasper Littmann, University College London / Health Protection Agency

Summary

This paper highlights the main ethical problems raised by strategies aiming at pandemic prevention and control. It outlines what issues nations, policy makers, health care professionals and the public are faced with both during a pandemic and in the attempt to stave it off.