Researchers shed light on why Covid vaccine distribution methods fall short

Several proposals have emerged on how to distribute the Covid-19 vaccine, but they fall short in ensuring that the vaccine is distributed fairly.

A team of researchers suggests three ways to more fairly and effectively distribute the vaccine so that people in poor countries get the vaccine as soon as possible.

The results of the study by a team of researchers from Binghamton University. was led by professor Nicole Hassoun. The paper, "Just Allocation of Covid-19 Vaccines," was published in BMJ Global Health.

Ethical vaccine allocation requires closing the gap and ensuring that everyone can access a vaccine as soon as possible. Several proposals have emerged offering guidelines for how to distribute the Covid-19 vaccine fairly.

These include the Covid-19 vaccines Global Access (COVAX) facility, a collaboration that brings together governments, companies, international organisations, and others to accelerate the development and manufacture of Covid-19 vaccines.

However, insofar as the aim is to have the greatest health impact, these proposals fall short, according to Hassoun and her team.

They offer three suggestions:

1. Proposals for fair distribution must address health problems for individuals. Moreover, since most individuals have little choice as to their country of origin or residence, we should not discriminate against them based on location.

A fair proposal cannot allow rich countries to hoard vaccines or prioritise their own populations first. Nor can it give individuals' less priority simply because they live in a country with less infrastructure, capacity, or willingness to distribute vaccines.

2. Allocation principles must explicitly focus on both direct and indirect health effects of Covid-19. Direct health effects include death and disability caused (in full or in part) by the virus. Indirect health effects include death and disability caused (in full or in part) by the social response to the virus.

3. Having the greatest global health impact requires assisting countries in their vaccine distribution, production, and consumption. A fair allocation system must consider how vaccine distribution will determine the success of whatever strategy is adopted.