Garrett J Eline, Vawter Dorothy E, Prehn Angela W, DeBruin Debra A, Gervais Karen G
Minnesota Center for Health Care Ethics, University of Minnesota Center for Bioethics, MN, USA.
Minn Med. 2008 Apr;91(4):37-9.
Although the timing and severity of the next influenza pandemic is impossible to predict, there is broad agreement that one will occur. Preparation is vital to mitigating its effects. A severe influenza pandemic like that which began in 1918 would be unlike other disasters in nature, scale, and duration. It could cripple normal business operations and disrupt global distribution of essential goods and services. It could force ethical decisions that many in a country accustomed to relative abundance are poorly prepared to make. Although sound evidence and clinical and public health expertise are needed to make informed decisions, so is an understanding of our common and diverse values. This article outlines some of the challenges the state would face during a pandemic, especially concerning the rationing of resources and care. It also describes a process currently underway to develop guidelines for how the state should approach the ethical questions that would arise.
尽管下一次流感大流行的时间和严重程度无法预测，但人们普遍认为大流行将会发生。做好准备对于减轻其影响至关重要。一场像1918年开始的那样严重的流感大流行，在性质、规模和持续时间上与其他灾难不同。它可能使正常商业活动陷入瘫痪，扰乱基本商品和服务的全球分配。它可能迫使人们做出道德决策，而许多生活在相对富足国家的人对此准备不足。虽然做出明智的决策需要可靠的证据以及临床和公共卫生专业知识，但对我们共同和多样的价值观的理解同样重要。本文概述了国家在大流行期间将面临的一些挑战，特别是在资源和医疗配给方面。它还描述了目前正在进行的一个过程，即制定国家应对可能出现的伦理问题的指导方针。
