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==Purpose==
The purpose of the engagement would be to formulate a clear policy regarding the use of the vaccine for pandemic influenza. The U.S. holds only a limited stock of the vaccine, so a decision had to be made regarding who to give the vaccine to in the event of a breakout. Bernier and the Health officials realized that this issue was not purely a professional, medical issue, but that there were ethical considerations that needed to be taken as well. They decided that (legitimate) ethical decisions must be made by the public.
They developed a process based on three premises: First, the formulation of the vaccination policy required the policy-makers to understand the society’s values regarding the issues. Second, the values would be best expressed through a public engagement process. Finally, there would need to be an inclusive model that would best reflect the common values.