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The ethicality of the COVID-19 response in children and adolescents

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Abstract

Childhood and adolescence are critical periods of physiological growth as well as development in biological, emotional, and social domains. During the COVID-19 pandemic, children and adolescent’s lives were drastically changed. Many countries including the United Kingdom and Ireland imposed strict universal lockdowns, which included the closing of creches, schools and universities as well as restricting peer interactions, social activities, and recreational pursuits. Evidence is emerging of a catastrophic impact on the younger generation, which leads the authors to explore the ethicality of the COVID-19 response in this population in relation to the four pillars of medical ethics: beneficence, nomaleficence, autonomy, and justice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University College Dublin School of Medicine, Dublin, Ireland

    Laura Bond & Fiona McNicholas

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Children’s Hospital Ireland at Crumlin, Dublin, Ireland

    Fiona McNicholas

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  1. Laura Bond
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  2. Fiona McNicholas
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All authors contributed to the writing of the manuscript. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Dr Laura Bond. Professor Fiona McNicholas supervised and commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Laura Bond.

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Bond, L., McNicholas, F. The ethicality of the COVID-19 response in children and adolescents. Ir J Med Sci 193, 321–327 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-023-03423-5

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