Taxed for being unvaxxed: The ethics of government mandates

Guest: Julian Savulescu, professor and director of the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at Oxford University

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 has overwhelmed hospitals around the world. Some are making bold moves when it comes to the unvaccinated, such as in Quebec where Premier François Legault announced taxes may be imposed on the unvaccinated. France and Italy already have vaccine mandates. Austria is set to enact a policy of heavy fines on any adults that haven't gotten their jabs. All of these policies are raising questions about whether coercive measures work and what kind of ethical territory we would be entering if this becomes the norm.

This episode was produced by Saba Eitizaz, Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Matthew Hearn.