Professional ethics of recommendations: implications for COVID-19 vaccination of women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant

Abstract

There has been changing guidance from national and international professional associations, national and international non-governmental organizations, and health officials in national governments for obstetrician-gynecologists about COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant women and women who are planning to become pregnant. in this paper, we provide an ethical framework that provides the needed guidance to decision making about recommending COVID-19 vaccination to these patients. the unique feature of this ethical framework is that it is based on professional ethics in obstetrics and gynecology. We begin with an account of three key components of professional ethics in obstetrics and gynecology and how they are pertinent to the ethics of making recommendations that should be understood in obstetric and gynecologic practice generally. We then identify the implications of this overview for the specific topic of the ethics of recommending COVID-19 vaccination.

Keywords

• covid-19
• covid-19 vaccination
• ethical principle of beneficence
• ethical principle of respect for autonomy
• medically reasonable
• professional ethics in obstetrics and gynecology