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Are parents who refuse to permit DPT vaccination not acting in the child’s best interests? From an actuarial point of view, their behavior seems incontrovertibly dangerous to the welfare of their children. However, the desire not to do anything blameworthy seems to outweigh the parents’ desire to protect their children’s best interests. Baron et al., (1998) has also demonstrated the omission bias in physicians. The omission bias may contribute to physicians’ reluctance to replace central venous catheters as often as is needed to minimize the risk of infection. As a catheter is being changed there exists a danger that a fatal bleeding incident or other serious adverse event may occur. The physician who causes any of these outcomes may be accused of committing an error. Of course, a physician who omits changing the line also may put the patient at risk, but the ensuing infection is not the result of any action committed by the physician. An omission would have led to the infection, so it appears less blameworthy than a commission. Hence many physicians are reluctant to replace the catheters as often as they should.
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