Part one
There are several policies on mandatory immunizations that lobbyists of prominent drug companies have backed. Among these policies is the policy that calls for all children to be vaccinated against a list of diseases before joining school. This would reveal that the examination of the ethical behaviors on the part of relevant policymakers involved in this policy revealed such behaviors partially. The policy was to show respect for man’s freedom and justice to each individual by ensuring that every child is protected against such preventable diseases. However, along with the development of the policy and making it mandatory, some of the controversial vaccines became so, which created division in the society, thus creating an ethical dilemma in front of the policymakers.
While it is clear that public health policies contributed to a fall in certain diseases, there are areas of the policy where possible harm could be done (Lavazza et al.,2020). Most such critics have argued that vaccines given at early ages could be detrimental to the developing immune systems of children, and other claims that have been made have included the possibility that vaccines could cause severe allergic reactions or even produce damage to the neurological system. Additionally, several parents have also expressed concern over the amount of vaccines required for children as well as what they consider to be coercion of pharmaceutical companies and government officials. The potential harm associated with such a mandated vaccines vaccination policy may question ethical ethics from pharmaceutical firms and policymakers.
Generally speaking, those who upheld this policy might have acted in good faith by self-interest and gain since it improved revenue at the expense of general health. It is, therefore, important that these policymakers and pharmaceutical companies maintain transparency and are answerable for the policies supported and to whom they would benefit, thus ensuring that their actions represent ethical behavior, with safety being a concern that should come first to the people.
Part two
1) Explain how courts affect health policymaking by acting as interpreters.
The courts influence health policymaking by interpreting existing laws and how they apply in certain instances. Such an interpretation may influence what is put down and implemented in the policies.
2) Explain how courts affect health policymaking by acting as rights protectors.
The courts influence the making of a health policy by playing the role of guardians, protecting the rights of individuals from possible threats made by policies. This is specifically significant when considering public health policies that impose sacrifices on individuals.
3) What is the importance of legal precedent for policymaking?
Legal precedent is a part of policymaking in the fact that it provides guidance and consistency in decision-making. When there is legal precedence, the policymakers are afforded the structure they can use as a base for creating new policies.
4) What is the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution?
According to the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution, state law never triumphs over federal law. It rationalizes that if any conflict arrives between the law of any state and the federal law, then the former thrashes the latter.
5) What meaning do you give to beneficence, justice, nonmaleficence, and respect for persons?
Beneficence is a duty to act in the best interest of others, nonmaleficence is taken as the duty not to cause harm to others, justice is considered to be the fair and equal treatment to all people, and respect for persons means the duties due to individual dignity and respect for their autonomy.
6) Define policy competence.
Political competency entails the knowledge and skills that will be required in devising policy and seeing that cum such a policy is effectively implemented. This will be through understanding the process of making, the products from this process, and expertise in some relevant regions like economics, law, and public health.
7) Discuss how policy competence can help health professionals improve health in individuals and populations.
Policy competence helps health professionals develop and bring into being policies that impact development positively. For example, a health economist may develop a policy that increases citizens’ access to affordable healthcare.
8) Discuss how health professionals can be influential in policymaking.
This means that health professionals can change the course of policy development using their expertise and advocacy to make a case for better public health policies. This would mean working with policymakers and other parties to develop evidence-based policies that would be viable within the contexts under which they are developed (Yingling et al., 2020). Health professionals may partner with advocacy groups and other entities in helping contextualize some of the health issues and lay practical preparation for policy change advocacy.
References
Lavazza, A., & Farina, M. (2020). The role of experts in the COVID-19 pandemic and the limits of their epistemic authority in democracy. Frontiers in public health, 8, 356.
Yingling, D. L., & Mallinson, D. J. (2020). Explaining variation in evidence-based policymaking in the American states. Evidence & Policy, 16(4), 579–596.
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