The American Board of Bioethics Program Directors (APBD) approved a new position this fall, that universal COVID-19 vaccine mandates are not presently ethically supportable.  Matthew Wynia, MD, MPH, and colleagues state that the values and principles that guided their earlier position remain the same, but the context has evolved.

Today, although the benefits of updated vaccination to individuals remain considerable, the relative value of universal vaccination against COVID-19 for achieving safety for others seems considerably lower than it was in fall 2021. This is why the APBD now supports policy decisions to lift most COVID-19 vaccine mandates but continues to call for freely available access to updated vaccines against COVID-19.   They also recognize that vaccine mandates could again become ethically justifiable should circumstances change.  Read article>>