Moral Maze

Conditions on living in a post-vaccine world


Listen Later

The Covid vaccine has given us a ‘roadmap’ out of the lockdown but it also provides us with a whole new set of moral conundrums. The virus will likely be with us forever, so the question becomes: how will we live with it in the medium and long-term? We’ve all accepted conditions on our daily lives, with the view that they would be temporary, but should we have to get used to them? Downing Street says the idea of a "Covid passport" app is still under review. Should we make the ability to travel, socialise in public or even go to school and work conditional on having been vaccinated? Those in favour, say it’s a pragmatic route to normal life in a world of vaccine hesitancy. Others base their argument on the principles of safety and fairness: there is a good reason to treat people with immunity differently if they are not a risk to others. The 200,000+ people who signed a recent online petition urging the government not to introduce vaccine passports are worried about their impact on civil liberties and social cohesion. Sam Grant from the human rights organisation Liberty said they would, "create a two-tier society where some people can access support and freedoms, while others are shut out - with the most marginalised among us hardest hit." For many, conditionality is an issue of trust, fairness and proportionality; it is part of the give and take of the responsibilities and rights of citizens. In welfare, for example, they believe people should demonstrate their commitment to finding work in order to receive benefit payments. For others, conditionality undermines social cohesion, because it comes with an implicit sense of blaming victims. Rather than further stigmatising people by attaching conditions to their daily lives, they believe we need to understand better why they are not pursuing a particular course of action. What, if any, conditions should be applied to living in a post-vaccine world? With Silkie Carlo, Matthew Oakley, Prof Julian Savulescu and Dr Beth Watts.

Producer: Dan Tierney.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Moral MazeBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

51 ratings


More shows like Moral Maze

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,728 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

872 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,058 Listeners

The Reith Lectures by BBC Radio 4

The Reith Lectures

166 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,531 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,796 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,809 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,084 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,105 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,954 Listeners

The Week in Westminster by BBC Radio 4

The Week in Westminster

32 Listeners

The Bottom Line by BBC Radio 4

The Bottom Line

37 Listeners

Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast by Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast

Page 94: The Private Eye Podcast

420 Listeners

Start the Week by BBC Radio 4

Start the Week

159 Listeners

Any Questions? and Any Answers? by BBC Radio 4

Any Questions? and Any Answers?

44 Listeners

The Briefing Room by BBC Radio 4

The Briefing Room

69 Listeners

Political Thinking with Nick Robinson by BBC Radio 4

Political Thinking with Nick Robinson

113 Listeners

Newscast by BBC News

Newscast

736 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,218 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

769 Listeners

The Bomb by BBC World Service

The Bomb

1,035 Listeners

The Rest Is Politics by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Politics

3,565 Listeners

The News Agents by Global

The News Agents

1,228 Listeners

The Rest Is Politics: Leading by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Politics: Leading

805 Listeners

Radical with Amol Rajan by BBC Radio 4

Radical with Amol Rajan

49 Listeners