Abstract
Pandemics have devastated humankind throughout history
and the threat they pose is just as great now, at the beginning
of the 21st century. Managing a public health emergency
of the scale and complexity of a pandemic, and with the
potential societal ramifications, poses enormous challenges.
Public health planners must grapple with the intersection
of competing values and priorities. This article provides
a preliminary discussion of some of these ethical issues,
specifically the necessary limitations on individual liberty
posed by quarantine, the unavoidable need to prioritise
health care resources, and the complexities associated with
the obligations of health care professionals.
