With COVID-19 vaccines on the horizon, attention again returns to the contentious topic of whether vaccination should be made mandatory. Recent polling has resulted in worrying headlines about a lack of willingness to have a COVID-19 vaccine if it were available.

Are mandates the answer to ensure vaccine high uptake to end the pandemic? While still a hypothetical scenario, without yet having a safe and effective vaccine approved for use, this could change in the coming months. The question of introducing mandatory vaccination spans considerations of personal liberty, health decision-making, public health and policy, as well as the relationship between the state and its citizens. Join Professor Julian Savulescu and Dr Samantha Vanderslott to debate the ethical and public policy arguments for and against mandatory COVID-19 vaccination.

Prof Julian Savulescu and Dr Samantha Vanderslott in conversation: " Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination: the arguments for and against"