The Bioethics of Infecions-A Modeler Perspective

Bioethics should take into account conflicts between individuals and the community such as the conflict arisen by vaccination against infectious diseases. The aim of this paper is to present a modeler perspective of the ethical issues raised by the conflicts arisen by the attempt to control infectious diseases through vaccination. We aim to propose that mathematical models can help in the design of vaccination strategies that minimizes adverse effects and the harm imposed by the infection at the same time. We apply the concepts of game theory, with a particular emphasis on Nash equilibria of population games related to the decision of the persons to accept the vaccine preemptly offered in mass vaccination campaigns, versus the decision of be vaccinated only in case of outbreaks. We argue that the use of mathematical models for designing immunization strategies should be an ethical priority since they help minimize the conflict between the interests of individuals and those of society at large.

並列關鍵字

Bioethics ； Infectious Diseases ； Vaccination ； Mathematical Models ； Smallpox ； Yellow Fever ； Poliomyelitis

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