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Clinical ethics
Multivalue ethical framework for fair global allocation of a COVID-19 vaccine
  1. Yangzi Liu1,
  2. Sanjana Salwi1,
  3. Brian C Drolet2
  1. 1 School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
  2. 2 Center for Biomedical Ethics and Society, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
  1. Correspondence to Ms Yangzi Liu, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; yangzi.liu{at}vanderbilt.edu

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.

  • distributive justice
  • clinical ethics

This article is made freely available for use in accordance with BMJ’s website terms and conditions for the duration of the covid-19 pandemic or until otherwise determined by BMJ. You may use, download and print the article for any lawful, non-commercial purpose (including text and data mining) provided that all copyright notices and trade marks are retained.

https://bmj.com/coronavirus/usage

https://doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2020-106516

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    Footnotes

    • Twitter @sanjanasalwi

    • Correction notice This paper has been updated since first published to amend name of

      'Brian C. Drolet'.

    • Contributors YL and SS contributed to research, analysis and writing of the manuscript. BD contributed to analysis, writing and critical review of the manuscript.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Patient consent for publication Not required.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.

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