"Many lives might be saved if inoculations against cow flu were routinely administered to all people in areas where the disease is detected. However, since there is a small possibility that the person will die as a result of the inoculations, we cannot p

The argument deals with the administration of inoculations against cow flu routinely to all people in areas where the disease is detected. Is is also stated that the inoculation could sometimes lead to the death of the person. The need to administer the inoculation to all the people in the detected area is not made clear by the writer. We are unaware of the fact whether the cow flu is transferable to others in the area. If it is transferable easily through mediums such as air or water, and it is not possible to treat the air or water to prevent the spread, then it would be wise administering the inoculations to all people in the area. But, if the disease is not transferable or transfered by mediums such as blood or heridity, giving the possibly lethal inoculations to all the people in the area might be a bad decision.

The writer has not stated the deadlyness of the disease. In order to take the decision we should have evidience on what number of people among the people with the disease die because of the disease. In addition, we should have the number of deaths caused by the administration of the inoculation to people. If the possibility of death of the patient is 1 in every 2 victims and the disease is detected in 10 people and if the possibility of death of administration is 1 in every 100 and we are trying to administer the drug among 5000 people in the area, then we are killing more people than the flu. If the number of possible deaths by the death is comparatively larger than the possible deaths caused by the administration of the inoculation, the decision could be made in favor of administration.

The decision to administer a deadly inoculation can only be made if there is no other alternative which will not put healthy people at risk. The information on whether the flu in question is treatable easily with the help of medicines or vaccacines could help us make rational decision. Putting people at risk to prevent aginst a treatable disease is certainly a bad decision.