Individual healthcare choice might be a right, but a lot of the argument from ASTUDYINPINK seems very theoretical to me and based on the idea that humans are islands and exist on their own and not within families or bigger societies.
Perhaps those who subscribe to these views do exist much more as islands and haven’t got families or seen vulnerable adults with dementia who cannot make choices for themselves, or who have special needs or who have become so isolated from the world that they are not able to make rationale thought out and informed decisions.
There are grey areas with adults....special needs, severe mental health, dementia, significant isolation form information, coercive control....all areas where adults might struggle to make choices that they might make without these impairments. It is a grey area to decide when they can choose for themselves and when someone else might need to intervene. And before the stage where someone might need to intervene in the actual decision (and Ops PiL) aren’t at that stage I do t think, there might be an earlier stage where it is right for others to provide more information or explanation to help some vulnerable adults make their own decisions. This could include those with lesser mental illnesses, low level dementia, some educational needs, some levels of isolation which mean exclusion from information.
It is impossible to make a blanket statement that ALL adults regardless of circumstance should always make their own healthcare choices, by nature of them being an adult, or that it is wrong to provide information to them. In providing information, there is always the chance that those providing information try to persuade the adult in a certain direction and that information provided isn’t entirely neutral or balanced, but we are all subject to that issue in terms of information anyway. That is one reason why the state has a role to play in providing information in a time of crisis such as pandemic etc. But clearly some people struggle to access that information.
If my parents chose not to be vaccinated, Inwoukd be disappointed but I would accept it, if I thought they had understood the information and reached that conclusion. If I felt that they had been deprived of the information to actually weigh it and choose for themselves, then I would be concerned and not happy. I couldn’t simply say ‘they are adult it is their choice’ if I knew vital parts of the j formation hadn’t been avaialabke to them...that they were having to make choices blind. That wouldn’t be a caring response of a family member or society. That isn’t the same as interfering or pressuring, but providing the information.
I do worry that a number of people make choices all the time which will impact their lives, which they would t make if they knew more about the topic. Pensions are an example. In the end, people must choose, but having information allows them to choose i their best interests rather than blind.
Why would we want people to have to choose blind, rather than in an informed way? Asking them to choose about things which could significantly impact them, with no information seems like a form of abuse to be honest.