A suggestion by an ethics professor at a top British university that governments should pay people to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus has sparked debate over whether such incentives are ethical, or dangerous, and would boost or limit uptake.
“‘Anti-vaxxers’ may never be convinced to change their stance, but incentivising vaccination may persuade others who might not have done so to get the jab,” Julian Savulescu, a professor at the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at Oxford University, wrote in an article in the British Medical Journal.
When it comes to routine childhood vaccines - such as those against contagious diseases like measles - the World Health Organization says that making them mandatory is one of the best ways to boost coverage rates. But policies that incentivise or make vaccinations compulsory for adults are rare.