January 14th, 2025 – GS4

Passionate about the social service, you recently joined a Charity as a supply chain manager. The Charity is undertaking the distribution of Cervical cancer vaccines. It has also started media campaigns and enrolled celebrities, for raising awareness about the disease. The government also promoted the vaccines in a national campaign. You felt proud for joining the national cause.One day, Ravi, from the research department of ABC Corp, the company which produces the vaccines, comes to you and tells you that there are many irregularities in human trials of the vaccines. There is  inclusion of poor and vulnerable tribal people in the trials, and in many cases there is a lack of the consent of the patients. Due to many side effects in vaccines, there have been instances of deaths of some patients. To your surprise he tells you that even the media houses and celebrities involved are aware of such malpractices who are choosing to turn blind-eye to the whole issue as they are paid handsomely by the ABC Corp.

You raised the matter to the head of the Charity. He asked you to be silent on the matter as the Charity is being funded by a prestigious NGO which has a global appeal and also holds stakes in the ABC Corp. Besides losing your job, any negative news can hamper the national campaign also. He also said that if you remain silent then you will be transferred to a prestigious position in the ABC Corp along with a hefty appraisal.

1. Discuss the ethical issues involved in the case.

2. Evaluate the options available to you in the given scenario.

3. In the light of the above case, suggest some measures to carry out the human clinical trials in an ethical manner.