Ethical challenges in planning for an influenza pandemic

Abstract

Pandemics have devastated humankind throughout history and the threat they pose is just as great now, at the beginning of the 21st century. Managing a public health emergency of the scale and complexity of a pandemic, and with the potential societal ramifications, poses enormous challenges. Public health planners must grapple with the intersection of competing values and priorities. This article provides a preliminary discussion of some of these ethical issues, specifically the necessary limitations on individual liberty posed by quarantine, the unavoidable need to prioritise health care resources, and the complexities associated with the obligations of health care professionals.