Willowbrook State Hospital, an institution for the cognitively impaired or mentally challenged (formerly called mentally retarded) children on Staten Island, experienced a large num-ber of infectious diseases among its patients. Conditions at the hospital were not good, and most children suffered from hepa-titis, measles, and parasitic and respiratory infections. Hepatitis, in particular, was a problem as many of the children were not toilet-trained and the disease was spread through an oral-intestinal route. Researchers determined that nearly all susceptible children became infected with hepatitis during their first year at the hospital. Between the years 1956 and 1970, 10,000 children were admitted to Willowbrook Hospital. Of those children, almost 800 were entered into a research project to gain information about hepatitis with the hopes of eventually developing an immunization against the disease. All the parents of the children in the research project granted written consent. The children were injected with the same strain of hepatitis that was already prevalent in the hospital. The physician-researchers in charge of the project received QUESTIONS 1. What are the pros (positives) of this study and why? 2. What are the cons (negatives) of this study and why? 3. Is society ever justified in permitting this type of research when the outcome benefits only some members of society? From an ethical perspective, why or why not? 4. Should public funds be used to pay for this type of research on children? From an ethical perspective, why or why not? .

1. Willowbrook State Hospital, an institution for the cognitively impaired or mentally challenged
(formerly called mentally retarded) children on Staten Island, experienced a large num-ber of
infectious diseases among its patients. Conditions at the hospital were not good, and most
children suffered from hepa-titis, measles, and parasitic and respiratory infections. Hepatitis, in
particular, was a problem as many of the children were not toilet-trained and the disease was
spread through an oral-intestinal route. Researchers determined that nearly all susceptible
children became infected with hepatitis during their first year at the hospital.
Between the years 1956 and 1970, 10,000 children were admitted to Willowbrook Hospital. Of
those children, almost 800 were entered into a research project to gain information about
hepatitis with the hopes of eventually developing an immunization against the disease. All the
parents of the children in the research project granted written consent. The children were injected
with the same strain of hepatitis that was already prevalent in the hospital. The physician-
researchers in charge of the project received
QUESTIONS
1. What are the pros (positives) of this study and why?
2. What are the cons (negatives) of this study and why?
3. Is society ever justified in permitting this type of research when the outcome benefits only
some members of society? From an ethical perspective, why or why not?
4. Should public funds be used to pay for this type of research on children? From an ethical
perspective, why or why not?