Vaccine passports are back in Israel due to fears over the Delta variant. From today, Israelis over the age of three must show proof of Covid vaccination or of a negative test to be allowed into indoor public spaces.
Vaccine passports are wrong on liberty and personal responsibility grounds, but they also just don't work because the vaccinated can (and do) pass on the virus too, a doctor writes.
by George Santayana Informed consent is one of the cornerstones of modern medicine and the foundation of the patient/doctor relationship. The principle of informed consent is a core part of the Nuremberg Code on human research ethics and states that consent for any medical treatment must come from the patient themselves who needs to understand both the benefits and risks. Likewise, the opposite, which we might call “informed refusal”, is just as important and a patient can refuse treatment or withdraw consent at any time. The “informed’ part of informed consent can occur in a number of ways such as provision of written materials (the piece of paper you throw away when you open a packet of headache tablets) or a discussion with your doctor. Regardless, the information given to a patient needs to be accurate, balanced and cover both the benefits and risks. Consent must also be given freely and without undue influence or coercion. Of course, a clinician can express their opinion and offer advice as to what course of action a patient might take, but ultimately the decision to proceed (swallow the pill, take the test, have the operation) resides with the patient. Informed consent places the individual patient at the heart of clinical practice and given that they are the person receiving the treatment and taking any associated risks that intrinsically feels like the right thing. And so it used to be for vaccinations, where it was up to the individual whether they wished to have a specific vaccination or not. Yes, there ...
Almost a third of English adults aged 18-30 have not had the first dose of a Covid vaccine, despite the constant efforts to "coax and cajole" them into getting 'jabbed'.
Vaccine passports may be on the way out, with the Government's own scientists this week pointing out that the vaccines don't prevent transmission. In the meantime, it's worth reading the small print on exemptions.
Covid vaccine hesitancy rates have fallen across most of the U.K., according to new research by the ONS. Hesitancy among Brits aged 18 to 21 dropped to five per cent just before 'Freedom Day'.
The Government could tell pubs and restaurants that don't check the vaccination statuses of their customers to reintroduce social distancing during future 'Covid surges', under new plans.
We're publishing an original article today by Dr Sinéad Murphy, a Research Associate in Philosophy at Newcastle University, on the parallels between witch-hunts and discrimination against the unvaccinated.
I'm a QPR fan and have decided to create a substack blog about following the team this season. After 16 months of writing about COVID-19, I thought it would be a blessed relief to write about football for a change.
The Mayor of NYC has announced that only those who've been double jabbed will be able to dine inside at restaurants, enter gyms or go to the theatre. That means 69% of blacks will be banned from restaurants and gyms.
