Press Releases

In an online evening event of the series “Bioethics Forum” on 23 February, the German Ethics Council will discuss – together with experts and the audience – medical, ethical and sociological questions of dealing with non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT).

On the basis of a nuanced presentation of essential ethical and legal arguments in favour of and against a general statutory duty to vaccinate, the German Ethics Council, in its Ad Hoc Recommendation “Ethical Orientation on the Issue of General Mandatory Vaccination”, published on 22 December, argues the case for an expansion of the mandatory vaccination policy that goes beyond the sectoral mandatory vaccination policy recently adopted by the German Bundestag.

Together with experts and the audience participating online, the German Ethics Council will discuss on 17 November the phenomenon of self-measurement in various contexts, from everyday self-measurement such as step counting to medical applications and self-optimisation. The focus will be on the ethical and aesthetic reflection of the thus changing concepts of (normal) corporeality.

By a large majority, the German Ethics Council makes a case for an urgent investigation into the question of whether there should be mandatory vaccination for certain professions working in areas where particularly vulnerable people are being cared for:

On Wednesday 23 June, the German Ethics Council holds its 2021 annual meeting. Members of the public are invited to follow the event via livestream. In addition, there are opportunities for active participation.

In a public hearing on 27 May 2021, the German Ethics Council and experts from Canada, the United Kingdom and Norway discuss international perspectives on pandemic preparedness and response in a broader context that goes beyond the current Covid-19 crisis.