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. 2020 Aug;46(8):499-501.
doi: 10.1136/medethics-2020-106516. Epub 2020 Jun 12.

Multivalue ethical framework for fair global allocation of a COVID-19 vaccine

Yangzi Liu  1 , Sanjana Salwi  2 , Brian C Drolet  3
Affiliations

Multivalue ethical framework for fair global allocation of a COVID-19 vaccine

Yangzi Liu et al. J Med Ethics. 2020 Aug.

Abstract

The urgent drive for vaccine development in the midst of the current COVID-19 pandemic has prompted public and private organisations to invest heavily in research and development of a COVID-19 vaccine. Organisations globally have affirmed the commitment of fair global access, but the means by which a successful vaccine can be mass produced and equitably distributed remains notably unanswered. Barriers for low-income countries include the inability to afford vaccines as well as inadequate resources to vaccinate, barriers that are exacerbated during a pandemic. Fair distribution of a pandemic vaccine is unlikely without a solid ethical framework for allocation. This piece analyses four allocation paradigms: ability to develop or purchase; reciprocity; ability to implement; and distributive justice, and synthesises their ethical considerations to develop an allocation model to fit the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: clinical ethics; distributive justice.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

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