Exploring Bioethics - NIH Office of Science Education - National ...

5. Tell students that their policies should address each of these typesof exemptions and clearly state the kinds of exemptions thatshould be permitted, under what circumstances, and why.6. Ask students to reflect on the following questions as they prepareto write their own policy recommendations: Are all reasons foropting out of vaccinations equally acceptable? Are some reasonsmore acceptable than others? What are the pros and cons ofdifferent policies?7. Share additional information about philosophical exemptions.Be sure to emphasize the fifth bullet below: states that add extrasteps to opting out have fewer people doing so.• Many states have considered bills to allow more exemptions(12 states in 2003 and 8 in 2004).• Thirteen of the states that offer religious (but not philosophical)exemptions lack any authority to deny an exemption request—theymust give exemption to whoever asks.• Some states have adopted philosophical exemptions becauseindividuals who don’t belong to organized religious groups (andtherefore can’t get the documents allowing them a religiousexemption) may still have religious beliefs. Individuals who objectto vaccinations for reasons besides religious ones may also be ableto use these exemptions.• States differ in how difficult they make it for people to get anexemption. For example, in some states, people who requesta religious exemption must provide an affidavit affirming thatvaccination conflicts with “tenets and practices of the churchor religious denomination of which the applicant is a member.”In other states, they simply have to declare that they have areligious objection. Likewise, in some states, people requesting aphilosophical exemption must sign a form describing the benefitsof vaccination, whereas in other states, they need only provide awritten statement that they object to vaccination.• States that add extra steps to opting out have fewer people doingit. Therefore, some policymakers are now encouraging states torequire people to take extra steps to ensure that exemptions are notgranted too readily.8. Review the questions on Master 2.13 to be sure studentsunderstand them.ClosureMention the idea of balancing respect for persons, fairness, and responsibilityto the community, identifying this as a key ethical theme ofthis module. Ask students how their understanding of this topic hasdeepened as they explored relevant facts, stakeholders, and ethical considerations.2-30Exploring Bioethics