COVID-19 vaccine: vaccinate the young to protect the old?

Abstract When we have a vaccine against COVID-19, who should be vaccinated first? The question is relevant because, initially, vaccine availability will likely be limited. After healthcare and some other essential workers, it might seem the most obvious candidates are the elderly and other groups that are more vulnerable to the virus. However, we argue that this is not necessarily the case. Protecting the most vulnerable might require prioritizing vaccinating children in order to maximize the benefits of indirect immunity for the elderly and the other vulnerable groups. Whether this will be the best strategy from a public health perspective will depend on characteristics of the vaccine and of the virus, which are currently unknown. Here, we assess this possibility from an ethical point of view, by drawing comparisons and analogies with the case of the flu vaccination and with other examples of health policies and practices. We conclude that there are strong ethical reasons to vaccinate the young to protect the old, provided that the risks imposed on children are reasonable, even if that implies using children as a means to protect the elderly and the vulnerable.

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Theorizing about the other. Vulnerable groups and strategies for social inclusion in public health policies: a brief account of Brazilian case

International Journal of Migration Health and Social Care ◽

10.1108/17479891211231365 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 4-11 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Rubens Camargo Ferreira Adorno

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Social Inclusion ◽

The Other ◽

Health Policies ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Public Health Policies ◽

Brazilian Case

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Influence of Masks Protecting against SARS-CoV-2 on Thermal Comfort

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14113315 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (11) ◽

pp. 3315

Author(s):

Ewa Zender-Świercz ◽

Marek Telejko ◽

Beata Galiszewska

Keyword(s):

Thermal Comfort ◽

Public Spaces ◽

Point Of View ◽

The Other ◽

Health Policies ◽

Thermal Manikin ◽

Public Health Policies ◽

Protective Shield ◽

Full Face ◽

The Impact

Due to the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, most countries have tightened their public health policies. One way to limit the spread of the virus is to make mouth and nose cover compulsory in public spaces. The article presents the impact of wearing masks on the perception of thermal comfort. The following masks were analysed: FFP2, cotton, medical, PM2.5, half-face protective shield plastic and full-face protective shield plastic. The research was carried out for two scenarios of an ambient temperature: −20 and 30 °C. A thermal manikin was used for the tests. In the case of when a temperature equals 20 °C, the dry masks increase comfort, both general and local, while wet masks reduce comfort. On the other hand, at 30 °C, only wet masks do not increase discomfort. In addition, moist masks require less heat flux to achieve a certain skin temperature. However, it should be remembered that it is not advisable to wet the masks from the health point of view.

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Williams on Ethics, Knowledge, and Reflection

Philosophy ◽

10.1017/s0031819103000330 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 78 (3) ◽

pp. 337-354 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

A. W. Moore

Keyword(s):

Moral Philosophy ◽

Final Section ◽

Point Of View ◽

The Other ◽

Ethical Knowledge ◽

Ethical Point ◽

The One

The author begins with an outline of Bernard William's moral philosophy, within which he locates William's notorious doctrine that reflection can destroy ethical knowledge. He then gives a partial defence of this doctrine, exploiting an analogy between ethical judgements and tensed judgements. The basic idea is that what the passage of time does for the latter, reflection can do for the former: namely, prevent the re-adoption of an abandoned point of view (an ethical point of view in the one case, a temporal point of view in the other). In the final section the author says a little about how reflection might do this.

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In fear of a reversal back to the spirits-drinking era — the 2004 decrease of Finnish alcohol taxes in public discourse

Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs ◽

10.2478/v10199-012-0005-z ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 29 (1) ◽

pp. 57-77 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Matilda Hellman ◽

Thomas Karlsson

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Public Discourse ◽

Point Of View ◽

Alcohol Policy ◽

Alcoholic Beverages ◽

Health Concern ◽

Drinking Patterns ◽

Policy Debate ◽

Public Health Perspective ◽

Total Consumption

Aims The study investigates how the dissimilar tax reductions for different alcoholic beverages (spirits, wine and beer) were debated during the large tax decrease on alcoholic beverages in Finland in 2004. Design and Data The material comprises parliamentary proceedings and discussions, as well as daily press items (=105) from 2003–2004. Content analyses, both quantitative and qualitative, were performed. Results The parliament's discussion on the unequal treatment of different beverage types concerned mostly the overall framing of a public health perspective, differencing between consumption of “spirits” and “non-spirits”. The mass media framed the question mostly from the industry's point of view. Neither a clear support of the total consumption model (excluding specification of beverage sort), nor a strong liberalisation model for alcohol policy were expressed in the materials. Varying stances were merely motivated within a paradigm of “changing drinking patterns”. Conclusions The differing treatment of different beverage types, especially the large reductions in spirits taxes, was crystallised as the fundamental public health concern surrounding the decision to lower alcohol taxes. In the end of the article the authors ask whether the lack of clear stances other than the drinking pattern framing could imply that the Finnish alcohol policy debate has become more heterogeneous, neutralised or resigned in its basic nature.

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e-Health Technologies in Home Care Nursing

Advances in Healthcare Information Systems and Administration - Human-Centered Design of E-Health Technologies ◽

10.4018/978-1-60960-177-5.ch007 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 154-178 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Hartmut Remmers ◽

Manfred Hülsken-Giesler

Keyword(s):

Home Care ◽

Technical Assistance ◽

The Elderly ◽

Point Of View ◽

Health Technologies ◽

Nursing Science ◽

Home Care Nursing ◽

Rights Protection ◽

Ethical Point ◽

Identity Privacy

The innovative impact of advancing e-Health technologies is more frequently being discussed in nursing science. Nurses play an important role in collecting data and giving support to other users, especially in home care. Since issues of acceptance play a major role, the following article, which presents findings based on a focus group consisting of the elderly, caretaking relatives and professional nurses, is discussed from an ethical point of view in the context of international debate. It is interesting to note, that to some extent there is substantial ambivalence in the willingness to integrate such technologies into daily care. A need for technical assistance is clearly recognizable, however, limits as well. The authors’ findings indicate that a fundamental discussion on the relevance of e-Health methods in professional nursing needs to be held. It should address the ethical questions of often conflicting interests and rights (protection of identity, privacy and safety) in situations of high vulnerability.

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Starting anew after the COVID-19 Emergency

La Civiltà Cattolica English Edition ◽

10.32009/22072446.0520.2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (5) ◽

pp. 11-22

Author(s):

Gaël Giraud

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

21St Century ◽

Point Of View ◽

Significant Part ◽

Public Health Perspective ◽

Public Resources ◽

The Face ◽

The Cost ◽

Developed World

At the cost of unprecedented suffering to a significant part of our populations, we now realize in many developed world countries, from a health point of view, we do not have adequate infrastructure and public resources for this era and this crisis. How can we address these challenges in the 21st century from a public health perspective? This is what many countries have had to accept and implement in a few weeks in the face of a pandemic that, as we write, promises to rage across the planet in recurring waves of contamination and mutations of the virus. Let us see how and why.

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A Review of Cases of Marijuana and Violence

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17051578 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (5) ◽

pp. 1578

Author(s):

Norman S. Miller ◽

Redon Ipeku ◽

Thersilla Oberbarnscheidt

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Illicit Drug ◽

Public Awareness ◽

The United States ◽

Personality Change ◽

Health Policies ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Public Health Perspective ◽

Public Health Policies ◽

Loss Of Contact

Marijuana is the most consumed illicit drug in the world, with over 192 million users. Due to the current legalization push of marijuana in the United States, there has been a lack of oversight regarding its public health policies, as marijuana advocates downplay the drug’s negative effects. This paper’s approach is from a public health perspective, focusing specifically on the cases of violence amongst some marijuana users. Here, we present 14 cases of violence with chronic marijuana users that highlight reoccurring consequences of: marijuana induced paranoia (exaggerated, unfounded distrust) and marijuana induced psychosis (radical personality change, loss of contact with reality). When individuals suffering from pre-existing medical conditions use marijuana in an attempt to alleviate their symptoms, ultimately this worsens their conditions over time. Although marijuana effects depend on the individual’s endocannabinoid receptors (which control behavioral functions, like aggression) and the potency level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in the drug, scientifically documented links between certain marijuana users and violence do exist. Wider public awareness of the risks and side effects of marijuana, as well as a more prudent health policy, and government agency monitoring of the drug’s composition, creation, and distribution, are needed and recommended.

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SHOULD A FIRST-TRIMESTER RISK ASSESSMENT FOR PRE-ECLAMPSIA BE ROUTINELY OFFERED?

Fetal and Maternal Medicine Review ◽

10.1017/s0965539513000041 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 129-133

Author(s):

MAURO PARRA-CORDERO

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Risk Assessment ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Expert Opinion ◽

First Trimester ◽

Good Evidence ◽

Point Of View ◽

Health Policies ◽

Public Health Policies ◽

First Trimester Of Pregnancy

From a scientific point of view, the answer to the question might be quite straightforward in favour of routinely screening all pregnant women for pre-eclampsia (PE) during the first trimester of pregnancy. However, irrespective of the large amount of good evidence and expert opinion favourable for universally screening for obstetric syndromes, such as PE, public health policies do not always align with pure clinical science.

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Análise das políticas públicas de saúde do idoso: estudo de revisão de literatura

Revista de Enfermagem UFPE on line ◽

10.5205/reuol.202-1995-3-ce.0302200918 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 317

Author(s):

Alessandra Conceição Leite Funchal Camacho ◽

Maria José Coelho

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Public Policies ◽

The Elderly ◽

Health Policies ◽

Review Of Literature ◽

Publication Type ◽

Public Health Policies ◽

The Public ◽

Knowledge Database ◽

Revisión Sistemática

ABSTRACTObjective: to examine the public health policies of the elderly in the references of the main databases from 2004 to 2008. Method: study of systematic review of literature conducted on databases of the Library of Health, in September 2008. For information analysis was organized the content found on the year, publication type and methods/techniques, content and essence of the production of knowledge, database, the authors' recommendations. Results: the references that were analyzed 26 and 10 in the database SCIELO, one in the BDENF and 15 in the LILACS. Conclusion: we observed an increase in publications dealing with professionals in health operationalized the public health policies of the elderly as the main recommendations bringing the development of public policies that take into account the specifics of the elderly, facilitating their access and that could reduce inequality. Mention the importance of visibility of the aging process and adequacy of public policies aimed at expansion of the strategies that have the caregiver as the leading subject. Descriptors: health public policy; aged; nursing.RESUMOObjetivo: analisar as políticas públicas de saúde do idoso nas referências das principais bases de dados de 2004 a 2008. Método: estudo de revisão de literatura sistemática realizada nas bases de dados da Biblioteca Virtual da Saúde, em setembro de 2008. Para análise das informações foi realizada a organização do conteúdo encontrado quanto ao ano, tipo de publicação e métodos/técnicas, essência do conteúdo e produção do conhecimento, base de dados, recomendações dos autores. Resultados: as referências analisadas foram 26 sendo 10 na base de dados SCIELO, uma na BDENF e 15 na LILACS. Conclusão: Verificamos um aumento de publicações que tratam de profissionais na área da saúde operacionalizando as políticas públicas de saúde do idoso trazendo como principais recomendações o desenvolvimento de políticas públicas que levem em conta as especificidades do idoso, facilitando o seu acesso e que possam reduzir desigualdades. Referem a relevância da visibilidade do processo de envelhecimento e adequação das políticas públicas visando à ampliação de estratégias que tenham o cuidador como sujeito principal. Descritores: políticas públicas de saúde; idoso; enfermagem.RESUMENObjetivo: analizar las políticas de salud pública a los ancianos en las referencias de las principales bases de datos de 2004 a 2008. Método: estudio de revisión sistemática de literatura sobre las bases de datos de la Biblioteca de la Salud, en setiembre de 2008. Resultados: las referencias que se analizaron fueron 26, tenendo 10 en la base de datos SCIELO, 01 referencia en la BDENF y 15 en el LILACS. Conclusión: se observó un aumento de publicaciones relacionadas a los profesionales de la salud en la práctica las políticas de salud pública de los ancianos con principales recomendaciones sobre el desarrollo de políticas públicas que tengan en cuenta las características específicas de los ancianos, facilitando su acceso y que podrían reducir la desigualdad. Mencionan la importancia de la visibilidad del proceso de envejecimiento y la adecuación de las políticas públicas con la ampliación de estrategias que tienen el cuidador como principal sujeto. Descriptores: políticas públicas de salud; ancianos; enfermería.

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