Assignment
Using the case study scenario below, prepare a paper that identifies the various potential ethical issues and analyze the impact on the organization. The body of the Case Study shall be 8-10 pages, excluding other material such as the cover page, abstract, table of contents, graphics and tables, and references.
The Case Study Paper shall contain:
• Cover Page
• Abstract
• Body of Paper (8-to-10 pages)
• References Page
The paper shall be formatted as follows:
• APA 6th edition
• 1 inch margins
• 12 point font, either New Times Roman or Arial font style
• Double spaced, making sure there are no "extra" spaces in between paragraphs
• Properly formatted Section headings as appropriate
Case Study Scenario
In 1918, an influenza pandemic killed an estimated 675,000 people in the United States If a pandemic of this scale occurring today, an extrapolation of the 1918 pandemic would result in an estimated 1.9 million deaths in the United States if public health actions are not effectively undertaken. The impact on towns, cities, states, and the nation could be devastating. Experts estimate that a pandemic will occur every 30 to 50 years. Based on this information, the probability of another pandemic within the next twenty years is very real.
You are a public safety official in your community and you are responsible for working to develop emergency pandemic influenza plans and coordinating federal, state, and local responses. Pandemics occur in waves and endure for at least 18 months, further complicating effective public safety planning. The role of local governments in the planning and implementation processes is paramount. Planning for this health hazard and corresponding threat to public safety, however, can present numerous public safety obstacles.
A myriad of ethical issues will arise with the next influenza pandemic. Some of the decisions regarding these matters will be unprecedented. While banning public outings, closing public schools, and asking employees to stay at home may be troublesome measures for local public officials to undertake, the decisions regarding the allocation of limited resources such as vaccines and antivirals, the imposition of restrictive measures on the public such as isolation and quarantines, and the level of risk that the public workforce should be expected to face while assisting individuals infected with the influenza virus are much more formidable. While the federal government will provide only broad guidelines for state and local government emergency planners, specific decisions regarding vaccination at the local level, maintenance of emergency response and lifesaving services, and provision of other critical needs may have unprecedented legal and ethical implications.
As a public safety official, identify as many ethical issues as you foresee your community having to face in the next influenza pandemic. Briefly discuss what solutions you might offer to resolve each ethical issue identified.