BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:icalendar-ruby CALSCALE:GREGORIAN X-WR-CALNAME:Vaccines\, Ethics\, and the Common Good X-WR-TIMEZONE:Eastern Time (US & Canada) BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTAMP:20260818T051330Z UID:tag:localist.com\,2008:EventInstance_53569214722041 DTSTART:20260918T120000Z DTEND:20260918T230000Z DESCRIPTION:Childhood immunization in the United States is in crisis. Immun ization rates are at their lowest levels in two generations. Measles\, per tussis and influenza are resurgent in American children. In 2025\, there w ere 2\,289 confirmed measles cases with 3 deaths\, and more than 28\,000 c ases of pertussis with 16 deaths. In 2026\, there have been more than 2\,3 00 measles cases through late July. Return of poliomyelitis\, congenital r ubella syndrome\, and other\, long vanquished vaccine-preventable diseases is a real possibility.\n\nThis conference will examine the current vaccin e crisis\, review its historical and philosophical origins\, consider the balance between personal choice and the common good\, and develop a nuance d\, ethically informed strategy for childhood immunization that moves beyo nd the current\, highly polarized debate\, builds vaccine demand\, and emp hasizes vaccine equity. We recognize that carefully crafted communication s will be key to disseminating such a strategy. The conference will theref ore close with a discussion of approaches to communication that can bring all Americans together with the shared goal of safeguarding our children ’s health.\n\nIt is our intent at the end of this conference to produce a Declaration that addresses the moral dimension of childhood immunization and provides parents\, pediatricians\, public health authorities\, and el ected officials with an ethically informed path forward. This statement w ill move beyond an analysis of vaccines’ risks and benefits for individu al children and present a more holistic assessment emphasizing that childh ood immunization is a moral good and that children can flourish only when they live in communities where people care for one another and work togeth er to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.\n\nThe commissioned pap ers presented at this conference will be gathered into a book. This book w ill be published by Wipf & Stock and added to the series of conference vol umes that Boston College has published biennially since 2020 on key topics at the intersection on public health and ethics. \n\nThe conference will be hosted by the Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good and the Theology Department at Boston College in partnership with the Communic ation Department\, the Connell School of Nursing\, the Law School\, the Sc hool of Social Work\, the Gloria L. and Charles I. Clough School of Theolo gy and Ministry\, the Catholic Health Association\, and the Institute for the Liberal Arts.\n\nPlease Register to Attend. Full detail are available on our website. GEO:42.337933;-71.167778 LOCATION:Corcoran Commons\, Newton Room and Heights Room SUMMARY:Vaccines\, Ethics\, and the Common Good URL;VALUE=URI:https://events.bc.edu/event/vaccines-ethics-and-the-common-go od CATEGORIES:Conference CATEGORIES:Panel Discussion CATEGORIES:Reception END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR