With vaccines approaching FDA approval we need to discuss how a vaccine will be distributed globally. Despite FDA approval supply will be very limited with the WHO agreeing to purchase 2 billion vaccines for the global distribution in 2021. Today's episode is a deep dive into the role, background, and achievements of the WHO. We debunk certain criticisms of the WHO but also give a few of our own. In segment 2 of the episode we ask what countries should get priority with the vaccine if there is such a limited supply. Traditionally, treatments or cures are distributed unequally based on wealth of a community or country. Scientists are struggling to agree on how to prevent this with a COVID-19 treatment without putting a burden on any vulnerable group. We encourage our audience to participate in this conversation as it is the discussion between scientists that people can help shape.
For further reading on the ethics of vaccine and therapeutics in general I highly recommend this commentary on the currently proposed models by Dr. Nicole Hassoun.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-distribute-a-covid-19-vaccine-ethically/
sources:
1. World Health Organization papers 1946: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17810349/
2. International Sanitary Conferences archived by the WHO: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/62873/14549_eng.pdf;jsessionid=9DDDC4C65372D65836A67AC469DC1B98?sequence=1
3. Origins, History and Achievements of the WHO: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1985854/?page=1
4. Tuberculosis cases 1940 and 1941: https://www.nature.com/articles/150659b0
5. Tuberculosis cases 1953 - 2019: https://www.cdc.gov/tb/statistics/tbcases.htm
6. The equitable distribution of COVID-19 therapeutics and Vaccines. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2765944
7. WHO Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework: A milestone in Global Governance for Health: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/1104074
8. Advance Market Commitments: insights from theory and experience: https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w26775/w26775.pdf
9. Pneumococcal AMC Timeline: https://www.gavi.org/investing-gavi/innovative-financing/pneumococcal-amc/timeline
10. COVAX: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_20_1694
11. Vaccination distibution article: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-distribute-a-covid-19-vaccine-ethically/
12. Fake vaccination to find Osama Bin Laden: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/11/cia-fake-vaccinations-osama-bin-ladens-dna
13. How the Fake vaccination endangers us all: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/11/cia-fake-vaccinations-osama-bin-ladens-dna
14. A COVID-19 vaccine will need equitable, global distribution: https://hbr.org/2020/04/a-covid-19-vaccine-will-need-equitable-global-distribution
15. WHO Budget: https://www.who.int/about/finances-accountability/budget/en/
16. WHO funding breakdown: https://www.who.int/about/finances-accountability/budget/en/
17. Article detailing funding history of WHO: https://thebulletin.org/2020/07/pandemic-failure-or-convenient-scapegoat-how-did-who-get-here/
18. Small pox documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVmkYSkQEN8&ab_channel=DiscoveryUK
