Journal of Medical Ethics
September 2014, Volume 40, Issue 9
http://jme.bmj.com/content/current

Viewpoint  – Published Online First 18 August 2014
Refugees, humanitarian aid and the right to decline vaccinations
A L Caplan, David R Curry
Author Affiliations
Population Health, Medical Ethics, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
Abstract
Recent instances of governments and others refusing humanitarian assistance to refugees and IDPs (internally-displaced persons) unless they agreed to polio immunization for their children raise difficult ethical challenges. The authors argue that states have the right and a responsibility to require such vaccinations in instances where the serious vaccine-preventable disease(s) at issue threaten others, including local populations, humanitarian workers, and others in camps or support settings.