- At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Army HQ mandated that all personnel be vaccinated for COVID-19.
- Although most personnel followed the order without many questions, a few did not want to be vaccinated. They were worried that vaccines could cause many side effects. Further, the vaccine had just been developed, and its safety remains questionable.
- A senior sergeant in one of the camps also refused to be vaccinated. He was called to see the commanding officer, counselled, and ordered to take the vaccine.
- However, he was still adamant not to take it. The commanding officer then took an administrative action to discharge him from the service. The Army HQ also endorsed this.
- Before the HQ officially approved his dismissal, they consult you as a senior medical officers to give your opinion on whether a mandatory vaccination order is ethically correct. The HQ are worried that the sergeant might take legal action against the government.
Source: Reported by course participant
Questions for the discussion of this scenario
Can the mandatory vaccination be ethically justified?
Page printed from MME Scenario Collection – https://scenarios.militarymedicalethics.ch
