111. The Willowbrook hepatitis studies In the 1960s, children entering the Willo

Question

111. The Willowbrook hepatitis studies In the 1960s, children entering the Willowbrook State School, an institution for the intellectually disabled on Staten Island in New York, were deliberately infected with hepatitis. The researchers argued that almost all children in the institution quickly became infected anyway. The studies showed for the first time that two strains of hepatitis ekisted. This finding contributed to the development of effective vaccines. Despite these valuable results, the Willowbrook studies are now considered an example of unethical research. Explain why, according to current ethical standards, useful results are not enough to allow a study

Explanation / Answer

The ethical standards were made to protect the rights of people. The Ethical Standards of the American Educational Research Association states that it is of paramount importance that the researchers whether doing it for the greater good should respect the rights, privacy and dignity of the individuals. They have in fact made a special mention that the researchers should especially be careful while working with children and other vulnerable populations.

As the Willowbrook hepatitis studies were done without the consent of the children if they want to participate in the study or not, the research was not ethical. The participants which were children didn't even know about the purpose of the study and the risks involved. Therefore, the researchers have to ensure that they have the consent of the people participating in the study. This was the case of fraud, deceit and force.

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