There is a wide range of ethical and policy issues to confront as the US and other parts of the world move to reopening. Recent news events illustrate some of the dilemmas associated with COVID-19:
- Houston Methodist on March 31 became the first major health care system in the country to mandate Covid-19 vaccinations.
As a result, 153 employees either resigned or were terminated.
- Indiana University has mandated that students, faculty, and staff be vaccinated before starting the fall term. Eight students filed a lawsuit, saying it is a violation of the 14th amendment.
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Some businesses are requiring unvaccinated customers to wear masks, even if there is no federal, state, or local mandate to wear a mask in that setting.
This month, we have the rare opportunity to hear from someone whose job it is to think about big picture realities in the bioethics realm. Jeffrey Kahn, PhD, MPH, is the Andreas C. Dracopoulos Director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, a position he assumed in July 2016. From 2011, he has been the inaugural Robert Henry Levi and Ryda Hecht Levi Professor of Bioethics and Public Policy. He is also Professor in the Dept. of Health Policy and Management of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He works in a variety of areas of bioethics, exploring the intersection of ethics and health/science policy, including human and animal research ethics, public health, and ethical issues in emerging biomedical technologies.
Dr. Kahn has published four books, over 125 articles in the bioethics and medical literature, appeared in TEDx talks, and speaks widely both in the U.S. and abroad (click HERE for his talk on future-facing global bioethics). He is featured in the Netflix Series, “Unnatural Selection.”
For our July forum, Dr. Kahn will talk about issues such as:
- creation, use, and data management for “immunity passports”
- addressing vaccine hesitancy as well as equitable access to vaccines
- use of technology and digital information to manage public health response and recovery
We will discuss these and other issues of interest to the audience. We will leave amply time for audience Q&A, so register now for this unique opportunity.
Moderator:
Kat Mastrangelo
Executive Director, Volunteers in Medicine
Speaker:
Jeffrey Kahn, PhD, MPH
Andreas C Dracopoulos Director
Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics; Robert Henry Levi and Ryda Hecht Levi Professor of Bioethics and Public Policy
Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics; Robert Henry Levi and Ryda Hecht Levi Professor of Bioethics and Public Policy
