Global Inequity of COVID-19 Vaccines Manufacture and Distribution

Authors

  • Anamaria Unzueta Florida Polytechnic University
  • Dr. Susan LeFrancois Florida Polytechnic University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47611/jsr.v11i3.1662

Keywords:

COVID-19 Vaccine, Global Vaccination, Global Health, Health Inequality, Coronavirus vaccination, Vaccine Distribution, Vaccine Manufacturing, Intellectual Property, IP

Abstract

This research review is aimed at understanding the reasons for the growing disparity of globally unvaccinated lower-income populations. The mitigative global initiatives whose goal is to increase the equity of COVID-19 vaccination across all populations. Context regarding the fast pace of which coronavirus vaccines were researched and manufactured is discussed from the three varying perspectives: the scientific community, global affairs, and the manufacturers of the vaccine. Finally, the impact on equity is analyzed with the passing or vetoing of the intellectual property waiver for pharmaceutical companies’ vaccine patents.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

Author Biography

Dr. Susan LeFrancois, Florida Polytechnic University

Dr. Susan LeFrancois joined Florida Polytechnic University in July 2013, and has helped to design and build curriculum, participated in outreach activities, and helped to develop industry relationships. Her background extends from work as an educator to industry jobs in the areas of quality assurance and government regulation.

She has taught students science from pre-school to college. From 2008-2012, she was an instructor in industrial and management systems in the College of Engineering at the University of South Florida in Tampa. The program was for industry professionals and provided a graduate certificate in medical device and regulatory affairs.

LeFrancois also served as director of quality assurance for FTSI, an industrial sterilizer of medical devices and packaging. She developed and maintained the quality system according to ISO 13485 guidelines. In addition, she was a sterilization industry consultant for the gamma and EtO medical device sterilization industries.

LeFrancois received her doctorate in pharmacology and physiology from the University of Florida in Gainesville and her bachelor’s in chemistry from the University of South Florida. Also, LeFrancois received a graduate certificate in health informatics from the University of South Florida.

References or Bibliography

Bhattacharya, D. (2021, January 28). COVID-19 Vaccine and Cyber Espionage | Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. IDSA. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.idsa.in/idsacomments/covid-19-vaccine-cyber-espionage-dbhattacharya-280121

Gavi. (2022, March 25). COVAX Facility. COVAX Facility. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.gavi.org/covax-facility

Khodor, O. (2022, January 13). What It Means to Support a Waiver of COVID-19 Vaccine Patents. The Regulatory Review. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.theregreview.org/2022/01/13/khodor-support-waiver-covid-19-vaccine-patents/

Lindsey, B. (2021, June 3). Why intellectual property and pandemics don't mix. Brookings. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2021/06/03/why-intellectual-property-and-pandemics-dont-mix/

Marriott, A., & Maitland, A. (2021, July 29). The great vaccine robbery: Pharmaceutical corporations charge excessive prices for COVID-19 vaccines while rich countries block faster and cheaper route to global vaccination - World. ReliefWeb. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://reliefweb.int/report/world/great-vaccine-robbery-pharmaceutical-corporations-charge-excessive-prices-covid-19

Maxmen, A. (2022, February 3). South African scientists copy Moderna’s COVID vaccine. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00293-2

Moderna - Statement by Moderna on Intellectual Property Matters during the COVID-19 Pandemic. (2020, October 8). Moderna - Investor Relations. Retrieved April 11, 2022, from https://investors.modernatx.com/Statements--Perspectives/Statements--Perspectives-Details/2020/Statement-by-Moderna-on-Intellectual-Property-Matters-during-the-COVID-19-Pandemic/default.aspx

Operation Warp Speed: Accelerated COVID-19 Vaccine Development Status and Efforts to Address Manufacturing Challenges. (2021, February 11). Government Accountability Office. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-319

Palca, J. (2022, January 5). A Texas team comes up with a COVID vaccine that could be a global game changer. NPR. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/01/05/1070046189/a-texas-team-comes-up-with-a-covid-vaccine-that-could-be-a-global-game-changer

Ritchie, H., Mathieu, E., Rodes-Guiaro, L., Appel, C., Giattino, C., Ortiz-Ospina, E., Hasell, J., Macdonald, B., Beltekian, D., & Roser, M. (2022, April 10). Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) [Online Resource]. Our World In Data. Retrieved April 1, 2022, from https://ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations#citation

Sagonowsky, E. (2020, August 12). After nearly $1B in research funding, Moderna takes $1.5B coronavirus vaccine order from U.S. Fierce Pharma. Retrieved April 11, 2022, from https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/after-nearly-1b-research-funding-moderna-takes-1-5b-coronavirus-vaccine-order-from-u-s

Silver, K. (2022, January 28). Shot of a Lifetime: How Pfizer Developed its Own Raw Materials to Ensure a Steady Supply for the COVID-19 Vaccine. Pfizer. Retrieved April 11, 2022, from https://www.pfizer.com/news/articles/shot_of_a_lifetime_how_pfizer_developed_its_own_raw_materials_to_ensure_a_steady_supply_for_the_covid_19_vaccine

Stubbs, J. (2020, December 9). Hackers steal Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine data in Europe, companies say. Reuters. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ema-cyber/hackers-steal-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccine-data-in-europe-companies-say-idUSKBN28J2Q7

Understanding mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines. (2022, January 4). CDC. Retrieved April 11, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/mrna.html

U.S. International COVID-19 Vaccine Donations Tracker – Updated as of April 21. (2022, April 21). KFF. Retrieved April 21, 2022, from https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/issue-brief/u-s-international-covid-19-vaccine-donations-tracker/

White House Briefing Room. (2021, August 3). FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Major Milestone in Administration's Global Vaccination Efforts: More Than 100 Million US COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Donated and Shipped Abroad. The White House. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/08/03/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-major-milestone-in-administrations-global-vaccination-efforts-more-than-100-million-u-s-covid-19-vaccine-doses-donated-and-shipped-abroad/

World Health Organization. (2010). Intellectual Property and License Management with respect to Vaccines. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.who.int/phi/news/Presentation15.pdf

World Health Organization. (2021, October 7). WHO, UN set out steps to meet world COVID vaccination targets. WHO | World Health Organization. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from https://www.who.int/news/item/07-10-2021-who-un-set-out-steps-to-meet-world-covid-vaccination-targets

Published

03-08-2023

How to Cite

Unzueta, A., & LeFrancois , S. . (2023). Global Inequity of COVID-19 Vaccines Manufacture and Distribution. Journal of Student Research, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.47611/jsr.v11i3.1662

Issue

Section

Review Articles