| Abstract [eng] |
The COVID-19 pandemic has not only posed unprecedented challenges to global health but has also raised profound ethical questions concerning public health measures, healthcare delivery, research, and governance. Some governments introduced a COVID-19 passport in order to contain the further spread of the Virus creating another ethical challenge. This thesis seeks to explore these ethical dimensions to better understand the complexities of pandemic response and identify lessons learned for future public health emergencies. The aim of this research is to examine the ethical dilemmas and challenges encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic and to reflect on the lessons learned from these experiences. The objectives include exploring ethical considerations in public health measures, healthcare delivery, research, and governance during the pandemic, analysing the impact of the pandemic on vulnerable populations and the ethical responsibilities of governments and institutions and reflecting on the ethical implications of the pandemic and propose recommendations for strengthening ethical preparedness and response in future public health emergencies. The exploration of these different areas of the pandemic response will then offer the foundation for the ethical dilemmas of the COVID-19 vaccination passport, allowing the possibility to analyse its ethicality. This thesis employs a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on bioethics, public health ethics, and political philosophy. It utilizes a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, including literature review, case studies, and analysis of policy documents and ethical guidelines. Additionally, qualitative interviews from news articles with key stakeholders, such as healthcare professionals and policymakers, are conducted to gather insights into their ethical decision-making processes. The research findings reveal the multifaceted nature of ethical dilemmas encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic, spanning all areas of pandemic response. These include challenges in balancing public health measures like the COVID-19 vaccination passport and its restrictions with individual rights, addressing disparities in access to healthcare, navigating ethical issues in research and development, and upholding ethical responsibilities in governance and leadership. In conclusion, this research highlights the importance of ethics in guiding responses to public health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. It underscores the need for transparency, accountability, and solidarity in pandemic governance, as well as the importance of proactive ethical preparedness. It shows that the introduction of the COVID-19 passport compromised the autonomy and individual rights of people in an unproportional way. By reflecting on the lessons learned from the pandemic, this research aims to contribute to the broader understanding of pandemic ethics and inform strategies for promoting ethical decision-making and resilience in future public health emergencies. |
