In:
Open Forum Infectious Diseases, Oxford University Press (OUP), Vol. 8, No. 1 ( 2021-01-01)
Abstract:
This manuscript explores the ethics of human inoculation experiments in young healthy adults with wild-type severe acute respiratory sydrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as a tool to evaluate vaccine efficacy in the context of the Nuremberg Code, the Declaration of Helsinki, and the Belmont Report, and in the context of dose-response relationships with infectious agents. Despite societal pressure to develop a SARS-CoV-2 challenge model to evaluate vaccines, we argue that there are substantial risks that cannot be adequately defined because the dose of SARS-CoV-2 that causes severe disease in young adults is unknown. In the absence of curative therapy, even if a volunteer consents, longstanding ethical codes governing human subjects research preclude the conduct of such experiments.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2328-8957
DOI:
10.1093/ofid/ofaa615
Language:
English
Publisher:
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Publication Date:
2021
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2757767-3