The Omicron variant has in a few short weeks almost taken over the pandemic. This highly transmissible version of covid is raising afresh complicated ethical questions about vaccine distribution and international solidarity between nations. How can we ascertain what is the common good during global crises affecting different countries in different ways? Does Christianity lend any intellectual backing to those who demand the state refrain from telling them how to live during a pandemic? And how might the differing legacies of authoritarian regimes in Europe and the dissenting pilgrims who founded America be playing a part in contemporary vaccine politics?

Note: This episode was recorded earlier in December so sadly the wildly explosive growth of Omicron since has meant some of the data and news we mention in passing is now quite out of date!

Also, at the end we have a special announcement about the future of Matters of Life and Death. Thanks for listening, and see you all in 2022.

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