LibGuides: VCE Global Politics Unit 2: Global Connections: Responding to COVID-19

COVAX and Global Vaccine Equity

COVAX: Working for global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines
COVAX is the global collaboration co-led by CEPI, Gavi and WHO, alongside key delivery partner UNICEF with the aim to "accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines, and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world."
Vaccine equity campaign - WHO
A summary of the problem of vaccine equity and possible solutions - calling for countries and companies supplying vaccine supply to prioritise initiatives such as COVAX.
How companies collaborate to deliver lifesaving supplies - World Economic Forum
Illustrates public and private collaboration during the pandemic - how the global supply chain and transport logistics industry has worked with UNICEF to deliver the COVAX initiative.
COVAX calls for urgent action to close vaccine equity gap - Gavi (May, 2020)
Despite easing supply constraints, demand and uptake of some countries has been too low, resulting in further inequities between higher-and lower-income countries
'COVID-19 is not over' Tedros warns World Health Assembly - UN News (May 2022)
WHO Director-General highlights progress but also the gaps in global vaccination, noting that "it's not over anywhere until it is over everywhere."
Global Dashboard for Vaccine Equity - UN Data Futures Platform
This website contains the latest data on global roll-out, supported by information and insights related to vaccine inequity and its impact on the socio-economic recovery and welfare of countries.

Global Cooperation - Open Source Vaccine Research

COVID-19 has highlighted how the world's largest pharmaceutical companies (through patent and intellectual property control), government intervention and the wealth of a country, can impede global public health solutions during pandemics. In response, there is now a push for "open-source" pharma - the patent-free collaboration and sharing of vaccine data, research and development.

Global Cooperation - Preparing for Future Pandemics

CEPI's 100 Days Mission - to develop safe and effective vaccines within 100 days of identifying "Disease X"

Vaccine Nationalism

Global impact of vaccine nationalism during COVID-19 pandemic (article, Dec 2021).
This article explains vaccine nationalism generally as well as in the COVID-19 context, including the impact of vaccine nationalism.
Vaccine nationalism harms everyone and protects no one (article, Feb 2021)
Opinion piece by the WHO Director General warning against vaccine nationalism as being medically, morally, socially and economically counter-productive.
Shameful vaccine statistic powerful nations don't want to talk about - The Age (22/9/2021)
While wealthy nations reach vaccination milestones, poorer countries are being left behind.
Vaccine apartheid: global cooperation and equity - The Lancet (Comment) 16/4/22
A comment piece on assisting low income countries address the pandemic. Considers a country's responsibility to its own citizens, vaccine philanthropy and supporting vaccine production in low income countries.
Covid-19 and the Danger of Self-sufficiency: How Europe’s Pandemic Resilience was Helped by an Open Economy (article, Mar 2021)
This policy article argues for an open economy, using examples of EU trade protectionism evidenced in the pandemic in relation to vaccines, medical equipment, PPE and other supplies.

Vaccine Nationalism and the EU Vaccine Export Conflict

EU to block vaccine exports amid AstraZeneca delivery spat - DW News (31 Jan, 2021).

Italy, EU refuse AstraZeneca request to ship 250,000 doses of vaccine to Australia - ABC (5/3/21)
Australia was affected by the EU's decision to block EU companies' contract to supply vaccines to countries outside the EU.
Coronavirus: EU's Australia AstraZeneca ban a taste of what is to come - The Australian (4/3/21)
This article highlights the "vaccine politics" that occurred within EU member countries and externally.
AstraZeneca doses secretly flown to Australia from UK - The Age (9/4/21)
This article adds further insight into the UK/EU/Australia vaccine export controversy.

EU stops short of coronavirus export ban - BBC (27 Mar, 2021).

Conflict - the WTO and the TRIPS Agreement Waiver

In early October 2020, India and South Africa made a proposal to the World Trade Organisation to waiver the international intellectual property rights agreement (“TRIPS” agreement) during the pandemic to increase the production of COVID-19 vaccines and related therapeutics/equipment for low-wealth countries. Fast forward more than 18 months, while different versions have been debated, still no agreement has been reached. Major discussions take place again in June 2022.

A battle is brewing at the WTO. Here's why it matters for a global Covid-19 response - CNN Business (Dec 2021)
This article provides background to the issue as at Dec 2021, a year after the original proposal, summarising the arguments for and against the waiver.
TRIPS Waiver Proposal from India and South Africa (Oct 2020)
This is the original waiver proposed by India and South Africa in early October, 2020.
We still need a vaccine patent waiver but not the one on offer at the WTO meeting - The Conversation (June 5, 2022)
This article opposes the current version of the proposed waiver, arguing that it will not address inequality.
MSF to governments negotiating at WTO: get it right and adopt the real TRIPS Waiver - Medicins sans Frontieres (June 2022)
An appeal to the WTO to adopt the original proposal.
Will Proposed COVID-19 TRIPS Waiver Help Patients or Harm Innovation? - BioSpace.com
An argument against the proposed TRIPS waiver, from the perspective of the pharmaceutical industry.

The COVAX Humanitarian Buffer

COVAX Humanitarian Buffer Explained (1 min.).

Q&A: COVAX and the Humanitarian Buffer
How the COVAX program works with humanitarian organisations to vaccinate people outside of national agreements, e.g. in conflict settings, internally displaced persons and refugees.

Access Australia Database

Access Australia This link opens in a new window
Remote access for Loreto staff is via the VPN.
Remote access for Loreto students is via username and password - contact the Library for details.

This full-text database of Australian newspapers is recommended for researching further information on COVID-19 related issues. It includes The Australian, The Age and Herald Sun newspapers as well many others.

Please contact the Library for helping researching newspaper articles. The below guide will also be of use.

Access Australia - Loreto User Guide
This is an introductory guide to accessing, browsing and searching newspapers and newspaper articles in the Access Australia database.