Mr Simpson Case Study

The case at hand involves an elderly man who refuses a flu shot because he thinks the shot will likely cause him to get the flu. The doctors, however, believe that he should get the shot in order to avoid getting the flu and possibly dying as well. The family of the man requests the doctors say they are giving him a booster shot and actually give him the flu shot instead. The doctors are at a standstill as to what course of action they should now take. In this specific case, I shall argue that the doctors have a moral obligation to only give Mr. Simpson the flu shot if he is capable and willing of providing informed consent. The following paper has three sections. First, I shall introduce Mr. Simpson’s case in more detail and explain why informed …show more content…
Simpson’s family’s defense, they are listening to what the doctors have to say and are trying to do what is best for their sick relative. Like most individuals, the family is hearing what the doctors have to say; however, they aren’t listening to Mr. Simpson’s wants and needs with as equal respect to the doctor’s requests. On the other hand, the family of Mr. Simpson might judge him as incompetent because he was provided with an adequate amount of information and has been told how he could benefit from the flu shot, yet he is unable to make the decision to get the shot. Paternalism is defined as the overriding of an individual’s actions or decision-making for that individual’s own good. The principle of paternalism may seem permissible in instances where an individual that has mental or psychological issues may need the authority of a guardian in order to prevent any harm in that individual’s future (Vaughn ‘Bioethics’, 10). This case is an example of weak paternalism, which is defined as making a decision for someone’s benefit who is already incapable of acting competently under decisions. In this case, Mr. Simpson’s family thinks that the flu shot will benefit Mr. Simpson and trump his autonomy for Mr. Simpson’s own good and so he does no harm to himself. Mr. Simpson’s family wants Mr. Simpson to survive because they are all of aware of the serious dangers if he gets the flu again and agree with what the doctors have to say. The family suggests that the doctors should lie to Mr. Simpson and give him the flu shot under the name of an immune booster since he may not be competent to give his own informed consent, which is why a paternalist action should take