Vaccine Nationalism and its Impacts

Context: As the world is gearing up for COVID-19 vaccination. The World Health Organisation (WHO) cautioned against 'vaccine nationalism' and held that it is in everybody's self-interest to take an equitable approach to vaccine distribution and deployment.

Relevance:
Mains: GS IV- Ethical conundrum of Vaccine Nationalism

• When a country manages to secure doses of vaccines for its own citizens or residents and prioritises its own domestic markets before they are made available in other countries it is known as ‘vaccine nationalism’.
• This is done through pre-purchase agreements between a government and a vaccine manufacturer.
• For example, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and the European Union have spent tens of billions of dollars on deals with vaccine front runners such as Pfizer Inc, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca Plc even before their effectiveness is proven.

• The present race to hoard Covid-19 vaccines harks back to a similar situation that happened in 2009 during the H1N1 flu pandemic.
• Australia, the first country to come up with a vaccine, blocked exports while some of the wealthiest countries entered into pre-purchase agreements with several pharmaceutical companies. The US alone obtained the right to buy 600,000 doses.
• It was only when the H1N1 pandemic began to recede that developed countries offered to donate vaccine doses to poorer economies.
• However, it must be noted that H1N1 was a milder disease and its impact was far lesser than Covid-19.

• Inaccessibility: Such pre agreements will make the initial few vaccines unaffordable and inaccessible to poor and developing countries
• Economic slowdown: If countries with a large number of cases lag in obtaining the vaccine, the disease will continue to disrupt global supply chains and, as a result, economies around the world.
• Health crisis: Hoarding Covid-19 vaccines while excluding others would deepen the health crisis due to pandemic.

• Even though vaccine nationalism runs against global public health principles, there are no provisions in international laws that prevent pre-purchase agreements.

• WHO-backed COVAX Facility mechanism
  • The facility aims to procure at least two billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines by the end of next year for deployment and distribution mainly in the low- and middle-income countries.
  • So far, more than 170 countries have expressed interest: about 90 low- and middle-income countries and 80 fully self-financing countries.
  • The countries who join the initiative are assured supply of vaccines whenever they become successful. 
  • Moreover, the countries will get assured supplies to protect at least 20 per cent of their populations.