A Vaccine for the Pandemic of Aging? Conceptual and Ethical Issues

Abstract

In this chapter, we develop and extend the above analogy by means of a thought experiment in which a vaccine for the pandemic of aging is developed. We ask first, whether the concept of a vaccine for the pandemic of aging is conceptually coherent, and second whether such a vaccine (or similar aging preventive) is ethically desirable. This chapter makes the case that, while there are some clear disanalogies between aging and typical pandemics like the COVID-19 pandemic, there are some striking similarities that advocate for similar degrees of urgency. Moreover, the comparison throws important light on some of the flawed objections to healthy life-extending technologies.