Global Vaccine Research Articles

Immunological response to fractional-dose yellow fever vaccine administered during an outbreak in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo: results 5 years after vaccination from a prospective cohort study

In 2016, outbreaks of yellow fever in Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo led to a global vaccine shortage. A fractional dose of 17DD yellow fever vaccine (containing one-fifth [0·1 ml] of the standard dose) was used during a pre-emptive mass campaign in August, 2016, in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo among children aged 2 years and older and non-pregnant adults (ie, those aged 18 years and older). 1 year following vaccination, 97% of participants were seropositive; however, the long-term durability of the immune response is unknown. We aimed to conduct a prospective cohort study and invited participants enrolled in the previous evaluation to return 5 years after vaccination to assess durability of the immune response. Participants returned to one of six health facilities in Kinshasa in 2021, where study staff collected a brief medical history and blood specimen. We assessed neutralising antibody titres against yellow fever virus using a plaque reduction neutralisation test with a 50% cutoff (PRNT50). Participants with a PRNT50 titre of 10 or higher were considered seropositive. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants seropositive at 5 years. Among the 764 participants enrolled, 566 (74%) completed the 5-year visit. 5 years after vaccination, 539 (95·2%, 95% CI 93·2-96·7) participants were seropositive, including 361 (94·3%, 91·5-96·2) of 383 who were seronegative and 178 (97·3%, 93·8-98·8) of 183 who were seropositive at baseline. Geometric mean titres (GMTs) differed significantly across age groups for those who were initially seronegative with the lowest GMT among those aged 2-5 years and highest among those aged 13 years and older. A fractional dose of the 17DD yellow fever vaccine induced an immunologic response with detectable titres at 5 years among the majority of participants in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These findings support the use of fractional-dose vaccination for outbreak prevention with the potential for sustained immunity. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance through the CDC Foundation. For the French translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Corona Virus Disease 19 (COVID-19) Patient Profile in Klungkung

Introduction: Despite the effective global mass vaccination programs, which included booster shots, the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 strains threatens to undo the enormous success achieved thus far in stopping its spread. This study aimed to assess the demographics of COVID-19 patients from February to May 2021. Methods: Data were collected using secondary data from the medical records of Klungkung Regional General Hospital, Klungkung, at the time range according to the study period. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 for Windows and Microsoft Excel 2016 were used for the statistical analysis. All quantitative data, such as age, length of stay, and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), were estimated using central location measures (mean range). Proportions were used to describe qualitative or category variables. Results: The demographic description of COVID-19 patients at Klungkung Regional General Hospital, Klungkung, found an average age of 51.94 years old. More patients were found to be male (55.4%) and did not have comorbidities (55.3%). Fourteen patients (14.4%) were gravid, and 37 patients (17.8%) were treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). A total of 61 patients (29.3%) had desaturase with an NLR (mean) of 6.97 (51% increase). The average length of stay was 10.16 days, with the result of 24 patients dying (11.5%). Conclusion: Patients with COVID-19 were found to have milder symptoms with less use of the ICU, not all of them experienced decreased saturation, and the case fatality rate was 11.5%.

Disparities and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine policies in three representative European countries

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to examine the Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) vaccine policies disparities and effectiveness in Germany, Denmark and Bulgaria, with a view to providing lessons for global vaccination and response to possible outbreak risks.MethodsThis study analyzed big data through public information on the official websites of the Ministries of Health of the European Union, Germany, Denmark and Bulgaria and the official websites of the World Health Organization. We systematically summarized the COVID-19 vaccine policies of the three countries, and selected the following six indicators for cross-cutting vaccination comparisons: COVID-19 vaccine doses administered per 100 people, COVID-19 vaccination rate, the share of people with fully vaccinated, the share of people only partly vaccinated, cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases per million, cumulative confirmed COVID-19 deaths per million. Meanwhile, we selected the following four indicators for measuring the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine policy implementation: daily cases per million, daily deaths per million, the effective reproduction rate (Rt), the moving-average case fatality rate (CFR).ResultsAlthough these three EU countries had the same start time for vaccination, and the COVID-19 vaccine supply was coordinated by the EU, there are still differences in vaccination priorities, vaccination types, and vaccine appointment methods. Compared to Germany and Denmark, Bulgaria had the least efficient vaccination efforts and the worst vaccination coverage, with a vaccination rate of just over 30% as of June 2023, and the maximum daily deaths per million since vaccination began in the country was more than three times that of the other two countries. From the perspective of implementation effect, vaccination has a certain effect on reducing infection rate and death rate, but the spread of new mutant strains obviously aggravates the severity of the epidemic and reduces the effectiveness of the vaccine. Among them, the spread of the Omicron mutant strain had the most serious impact on the three countries, showing an obvious epidemic peak.ConclusionsExpanding vaccination coverage has played a positive role in reducing COVID-19 infection and mortality rates and stabilizing Rt. Priority vaccination strategies targeting older people and at-risk groups have been shown to be effective in reducing COVID-19 case severity and mortality in the population. However, the emergence and spread of new variant strains, and the relaxation of epidemic prevention policies, still led to multiple outbreaks peaking. In addition, vaccine hesitancy, mistrust in government and ill-prepared health systems are hampering vaccination efforts. Among the notable ones are divergent types of responses to vaccine safety issue could fuel mistrust and hesitancy around vaccination. At this stage, it is also necessary to continue to include COVID-19 vaccination in priority vaccination plans and promote booster vaccination to prevent severe illness and death. Improving the fairness of vaccine distribution and reducing the degree of vaccine hesitancy are the focus of future vaccination work.

Toward global RSV vaccination coverage

Toward global RSV vaccination coverage

COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines: Lessons Learned from the Registrational Trials and Global Vaccination Campaign.

Our understanding of COVID-19 vaccinations and their impact on health and mortality has evolved substantially since the first vaccine rollouts. Published reports from the original randomized phase 3 trials concluded that the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines could greatly reduce COVID-19 symptoms. In the interim, problems with the methods, execution, and reporting of these pivotal trials have emerged. Re-analysis of the Pfizer trial data identified statistically significant increases in serious adverse events (SAEs) in the vaccine group. Numerous SAEs were identified following the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), including death, cancer, cardiac events, and various autoimmune, hematological, reproductive, and neurological disorders. Furthermore, these products never underwent adequate safety and toxicological testing in accordance with previously established scientific standards. Among the other major topics addressed in this narrative review are the published analyses of serious harms to humans, quality control issues and process-related impurities, mechanisms underlying adverse events (AEs), the immunologic basis for vaccine inefficacy, and concerning mortality trends based on the registrational trial data. The risk-benefit imbalance substantiated by the evidence to date contraindicates further booster injections and suggests that, at a minimum, the mRNA injections should be removed from the childhood immunization program until proper safety and toxicological studies are conducted. Federal agency approval of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines on a blanket-coverage population-wide basis had no support from an honest assessment of all relevant registrational data and commensurate consideration of risks versus benefits. Given the extensive, well-documented SAEs and unacceptably high harm-to-reward ratio, we urge governments to endorse a global moratorium on the modified mRNA products until all relevant questions pertaining to causality, residual DNA, and aberrant protein production are answered.

Financial Management Risk and Legal Risks Analysis: Take Pfizer as an Example

With the continuous growth of the global biotechnology and vaccine industry, more and more companies are joining in. Risk assessment in the field of biopharmaceuticals has drawn the attention of the whole society. There are lots of factors such as market competition, government intervention, cost increases, product safety, and breaking laws and rules, resulting in an increase in the company's financial risk. Facing these challenges, this research is based on overall analysis and searching for company data, by adopting the company's financial risk management calculation method to compare the selected companies, such as market risk-return rate, market risk-free return rate, weighted average capital cost, and so on. This research has found that Pfizer has a higher risk compared to other companies but the challenges and opportunities coexist by raising legal awareness, improving management measures, and other means to reduce risks. Its future development prospects are still considerable. The following is a multidimensional financial risk analysis of Pfizer Company.

Vaccine nationalism is not unethical from a political ethics perspective: Learning from the global COVID-19 vaccine distribution failure

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an apparent conflict between medical and political ethics regarding the ethical evaluation of vaccine nationalism ― the “My Country First” vaccine allocation policy. Medical ethics sees this policy as selfish, leading to an unequal global vaccine allocation. Political ethics, however, argues that this policy is in the national interest and should not be labeled unethical. This conflict is one of the fundamental reasons why various medical ethics-based global vaccine allocation schemes, including the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, have been difficult to implement. As long as the international community remains composed of different countries, vaccine nationalism will be difficult to eradicate. Therefore, international organizations, including World Health Organization, should focus on universal vaccine access rather than allocation based solely on medical ethics. Countries, especially low-income countries, must strengthen vaccine-related capacity-building to immunize their citizens as early as possible. Otherwise, they may still be at the bottom of the global vaccine allocation queue when the next globally challenging outbreak occurs. High-income countries should work to expand the distribution of vaccines, including donating vaccines to countries that lack them, helping other countries set up vaccine factories, and sharing vaccine production technology and intellectual property, which is the right choice from medical and political ethics perspectives.

Assessment of Vaccination Coverage Among Measles Cases in Children Aged 10 Months to 5 Years at Civil Hospital Karachi

Background: Measles remains a global health concern, particularly in developing countries, and despite improvements in global vaccination efforts, certain regions, including Pakistan, continue to report cases. This study aims to assess the frequency of vaccinated children among measles cases, shedding light on potential vaccine failure factors. Methodology: A comprehensive analysis was conducted on 139 children diagnosed with measles in an emergency department. The vaccination status of each child was determined through a thorough examination of their vaccination history and available vaccination cards. In cases where records were unavailable, relevant data were meticulously recorded on a standardized Performa. Results: Among the 139 children studied, 30.94% were found to have received vaccinations, and only 35.9% had completed the recommended two-dose schedule. The average age for receiving the first and second doses was 9.6±1.05 months and 15.67±0.82 months, respectively. Conclusion: The findings underscore that a substantial proportion of measles cases occurred in unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children, emphasizing the critical role of complete immunization. However, despite vaccination efforts, many children still contracted the disease, indicating the necessity for further in-depth research in this domain.

Global coronavirus vaccination campaign: The role of religious workers in vaccine distribution, public mobilization and the eradication of nationalism.

Throughout history, the world has faced numerous health challenges and outbreaks, but through the dedication of medical professionals, solutions have been found. Despite this, the emergence of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has presented a new and dangerous threat. Nevertheless, with unwavering commitment, health experts have triumphantly discovered a remedy. The study aimed to examine how religious workers worldwide could contribute positively to ensuring the fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, addressing vaccine hesitancy, encouraging people to get vaccinated, and preventing vaccine nationalism. Our study employed a refined qualitative content analysis methodology to categorize factual information and pave the way for subsequent policymakers. We meticulously curetted the most trustworthy secondary data sources and utilized them to analyze the study. The content analysis reveals that religious workers played an active role in the global coronavirus vaccination drive by working towards better vaccine distribution, encouraging people to get vaccinated and countering hesitation and nationalism. In light of the discoveries, it would be prudent for policymakers to engage religious workers in advancing the cause of public health, regardless of whether the health matters are localized, national, or global in scale. This strategy has the potential to be both alluring and convincing.

Enhanced immunity against SARS-CoV-2 in returning Chinese individuals

ABSTRACT Global COVID-19 vaccination programs effectively contained the fast spread of SARS-CoV-2. Characterizing the immunity status of returned populations will favor understanding the achievement of herd immunity and long-term management of COVID-19 in China. Individuals were recruited from 7 quarantine stations in Guangzhou, China. Blood and throat swab specimens were collected from participants, and their immunity status was determined through competitive ELISA, microneutralization assay and enzyme-linked FluoroSpot assay. A total of 272 subjects were involved in the questionnaire survey, of whom 235 (86.4%) were returning Chinese individuals and 37 (13.6%) were foreigners. Blood and throat swab specimens were collected from 108 returning Chinese individuals. Neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were detected in ~90% of returning Chinese individuals, either in the primary or the homologous and heterologous booster vaccination group. The serum NAb titers were significantly decreased against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.5, BF.7, BQ.1 and XBB.1 compared with the prototype virus. However, memory T-cell responses, including specific IFN-γ and IL-2 responses, were not different in either group. Smoking, alcohol consumption, SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 vaccination, and the time interval between last vaccination and sampling were independent influencing factors for NAb titers against prototype SARS-CoV-2 and variants of concern. The vaccine dose was the unique common influencing factor for Omicron subvariants. Enhanced immunity against SARS-CoV-2 was established in returning Chinese individuals who were exposed to reinfection and vaccination. Domestic residents will benefit from booster homologous or heterologous COVID-19 vaccination after reopening of China, which is also useful against breakthrough infection.

Global COVID-19 vaccine acceptance level and its determinants: an umbrella review

BackgroundThe COVID-19 vaccination is essential for reducing disease burden on a worldwide scale. The success of this strategy will largely depend on how well vaccines are received. Previous reviews had produced contradictory results, and there had been no umbrella review. Therefore, the objective of this umbrella review was to combine the contradictory data regarding the COVID-19 vaccination’s global acceptance rate and its contributing factors.MethodsUsing PRISMA guideline, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Sciences, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Scopus and Google Scholar which reported COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and/or its determinants were searched. The quality of the included studies was assessed using Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR). A weighted inverse variance random-effects model was applied to find the pooled estimates. The subgroup analysis, heterogeneity, publication bias and sensitivity analysis were also assessed.ResultTwenty-two SRM with 10,433,306 study participants were included. The pooled COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate globally is found to be 60.23 (95% CI: 58.27, 62.18). In low-income countries, the pooled level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance was found to be 54.07(50.31, 57.83) while this magnitude is 64.32 (62.24,66.40) among studies across the globe. Higher level of education (AOR =1.96; 95% CI:1.20, 2.73), good level of knowledge (2.20; 95% CI:1.36, 3.03), favourable attitude (AOR =4.50; 95% CI:2.89, 6.12), previous history of COVID-19 infection (AOR =3.41; 95% CI:1.77, 5.06), male sex (AOR =1.62; 95% CI:1.47, 1.77), and chronic disease (AOR =1.54; 95% CI:1.18, 1.90) were predictors of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance.ConclusionThe pooled level of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance highly varied and found to be unacceptably low particularly in low-income countries. Higher level of education, good level of knowledge, favourable attitude, previous history of COVID-19, male sex, and chronic disease were factors of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate. A collaborative effort of stakeholders such as policymakers, and vaccine campaign program planners is needed to improve the acceptance rate of COVID-19 vaccine.

Covid-19 pandemic and equity of global human papillomavirus vaccination: descriptive study of World Health Organization-Unicef vaccination coverage estimates

ObjectiveTo analyse progress in global vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) during the covid-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on equity.DesignDescriptive study of World Health Organization-Unicef vaccination coverage estimates.SettingWHO-Unicef estimates of...

Vaccinating humanitarian workers against COVID-19.

To describe the United Nations' (UN's) coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination programme and its efforts to vaccinate frontline humanitarian personnel stationed in locations where access to COVID-19 vaccine was limited or absent. The vaccination programme was structured as a two-level operation: a global vaccine deployment support team and local vaccine deployment teams in each participating country, territory or administrative area. The central group, led by a global vaccine coordinator, oversaw medical, legal, financial, logistical, data, technological and communication aspects. Local vaccine deployment teams were led by coordinators who managed registration, logistics, communication and vaccine administration. The programme used World Health Organization-approved COVID-19 vaccines and developed prioritization criteria for distributing vaccine supplies. The programme ensured that vaccines for the UN personnel were not diverted from the populations they were intended to serve. The programme successfully formed 120 deployment teams across 152 eligible countries, territories and administrative areas, targeting approximately 673 000 individuals. By April 2023, 72 countries, territories and administrative areas had received over 470 000 doses, of which 337 072 doses were administered. Almost half of the doses administered (167 616) were to individuals in five UN hardship countries. Ninety-five severe adverse events were reported, but none led to any reported medical evacuation, permanent disability or death. The programme demonstrated effective global coordination and local implementation, adapting to diverse contexts and operational challenges. The model can serve as a guide for global actors for future health emergencies, or for deploying health aid at a regional or global scale.

Global stability and optimal vaccination control of SVIR models

<abstract> <p>Vaccination is widely acknowledged as an affordable and cost-effective approach to guard against infectious diseases. It is important to take vaccination rate, vaccine effectiveness, and vaccine-induced immune decline into account in epidemic dynamical modeling. In this paper, an epidemic dynamical model of vaccination is developed. This model provides a framework of the infectious disease transmission dynamics model through qualitative and quantitative analysis. The result shows that the system may have multiple equilibria. We used the next-generation operator approach to calculate the maximum spectral radius, that is, basic reproduction number $ {R_{vac}} $. Next, by dividing the model into infected and uninfected subjects, we can prove that the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable when $ {R_{vac}} < 1 $, provided certain assumptions are satisfied. When $ {R_{vac}} > 1 $, there exists a unique endemic equilibrium. Using geometric methods, we calculate the second compound matrix and demonstrate the Lozinskii measure $ \bar q \leqslant 0 $, which is equivalent to the unique endemic equilibrium, which is globally asymptotically stable. Then, using center manifold theory, we justify the existence of forward bifurcation. As the vaccination rate decreases, the likelihood of forward bifurcation increases. We also theoretically show the presence of Hopf bifurcation. Then, we performed sensitivity analysis and found that increasing the vaccine effectiveness rate can curb the propagation of disease effectively. To examine the influence of vaccination on disease control, we chose the vaccination rate as the optimal vaccination control parameter, using the Pontryagin maximum principle, and we found that increasing vaccination rates reduces the number of infected individuals. Finally, we ran a numerical simulation to finalize the theoretical results.</p> </abstract>

Recent Trends in Malaria Vaccine Research Globally: A Bibliometric Analysis From 2005 to 2022.

Aim: Malaria vaccine is one of the critical areas in tropical health research, considering the success recorded in other vaccine-preventable diseases. This study is aimed at reviewing recent trends in global malaria vaccine research from 2005 to 2022. Method: A validated search strategy was undertaken to identify scientific literature on the malaria vaccine in the Scopus database. Bibliometric indicators identified include a pattern of publication growth and citations over the study period; top authors, countries, funding organizations, and journals; keywords, including different malarial parasite species, and the overall research themes. Result: A total of 6457 documents were found from 2005 to 2022, published in 160 journals/sources in 189 countries/territories. Malaria Journal published the highest number of research outputs (478, 7.4%) within the study period, and the highest number of documents (468, 7.3%) were published in 2021. There were 214,323 total citations, with 33.2 average citations per document and 167 documents' h-index. The United States, United Kingdom, and Australia combined produced more than 60% of the publication output, with most collaboration with African countries such as Kenya. Plasmodium falciparum is the most occurring parasite species keyword (754, 11.7%), with a growing interest in Plasmodium knowlesi (30, 0.5%). Merozoite surface protein, characterization, trials, infant/children, traveler, and research/review were the six themes that emerged from the studies. Conclusion: The last one and half decades have seen a significant increase in malaria vaccine research and citations, mainly targeting vaccine development, safety, and efficacy in Africa. This necessitates more international efforts to improve the vaccines' effectiveness considering different Plasmodium species.

Monkeypox: A Comprehensive Review of Virology, Epidemiology, Transmission, Diagnosis, Prevention, Treatment, and Artificial Intelligence Applications.

Monkeypox (Mpox), an uncommon zoonotic Orthopoxvirus, is commonly manifested by blisters on the skin and has a mortality rate of approximately 0-10%. Approximately two decades after the cessation of global smallpox vaccination, the number of confirmed cases of Mpox has been growing, making it the most common Orthopoxvirus infection. Therefore, in this narrative review, we aimed to shed light on recent advancements in the pathophysiology, transmission routes, epidemiology, manifestations, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of Mpox, as well as the application of artificial intelligence (AI) methods for predicting this disease. The clinical manifestations of Mpox, including the onset of symptoms and dermatologic characteristics, are similar to those of the infamous smallpox, but Mpox is clinically milder. Notably, a key difference between smallpox and Mpox is the high prevalence of lymphadenopathy. Human-to-human, animal-to-human, and animal-to-animal transmission are the three main pathways of Mpox spread that must be considered for effective prevention, particularly during outbreaks. PCR testing, as the preferred method for diagnosing Mpox infection, can enhance early detection of new cases and thereby improve infection control measures. JYNNEOS and ACAM2000 are among the vaccines most commonly recommended for the prevention of Mpox. Brincidofovir, Cidofovir, and Tecovirimat are the primary treatments for Mpox cases. Similar to other viral infections, the best approach to managing Mpox is prevention. This can, in part, be achieved through measures such as reducing contact with individuals displaying symptoms, maintaining personal safety, and adhering to practices commonly used to prevent sexually transmitted infections.

How does geographical diversity shape vaccine efficacy?

Vaccination is a cornerstone of public health, saving millions of lives each year by preventing a variety of infectious diseases. Yet, despite global vaccination efforts, emerging research highlights significant geographical disparities in vaccine efficacy and immunogenicity. These variations underscore the critical interplay between immunological factors and environmental, genetic, and nutritional elements across different populations. Our review article aimed to explore the multifactorial reasons behind geographical variations in vaccine efficacy. Also, this study has shown how important host factors like age, obesity, gender, and genetic diversity, especially within the major histocompatibility complex, are in determining how well a vaccine works. Nutritional status, namely deficiencies in micronutrients such as vitamins and zinc, and lifestyle factors including stress, sleep, alcohol consumption, and physical activity are also shown to have profound effects on vaccine-induced immunity. Importantly, our paper also brought to light the influence of microbial and ecological factors, such as the gut microbiome and environmental pollutants, on the immune system's response to vaccination. The findings emphasize the importance of tailoring vaccination strategies to accommodate the unique immunological landscapes shaped by geographical and societal factors. This tailored approach could enhance vaccine efficacy, reduce disparities in vaccine response, and ultimately contribute to the global fight against infectious diseases.

Design and Execution of In Vitro Polymerase Assays for Measles Virus and Related Mononegaviruses.

Morbilliviruses such as measles virus (MeV) are responsible for major morbidity and mortality worldwide, despite the availability of an effective vaccine and global vaccination campaigns. MeV belongs to the mononegavirus order of viral pathogens that store their genetic information in non-segmented negative polarity RNA genomes. Genome replication and viral gene expression are carried out by a virus-encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) complex that has no immediate host cell analog. To better understand the organization and regulation of the viral RdRP and mechanistically characterize antiviral candidates, biochemical RdRP assays have been developed that employ purified recombinant polymerase complexes and synthetic RNA templates to monitor the initiation of RNA synthesis and RNA elongation in vitro. In this article, we will discuss strategies for the efficient expression and preparation of mononegavirus polymerase complexes, provide detailed protocols for the execution and optimization of RdRP assays, evaluate alternative options for the choice of template and detection system, and describe the application of the assay for the characterization of inhibitor candidates. Although MeV RdRP assays are the focus of this article, the general strategies and experimental approaches are readily transferable to related viruses in the mononegavirus order.

Intellectual property rights and fair vaccine distribution: A new perspective on the TRIPS Agreement

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted inequities concerning global vaccine distribution, as well as issues surrounding patents and intellectual property rights for these vaccines. This paper addresses the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) regarding vaccines. Adhered to by all state members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the agreement sets minimum regulatory standards for governments on intellectual property, including vaccines. Our contribution is a new analysis of TRIPS Art. 31 Bis concerning flexibilities in its terms of use on global vaccine distribution. We consider existing solutions for fairer vaccine distribution, such as governments enforcing a compulsory vaccine licence, and governmental/individual charitable efforts. We then focus on issues with know-how distribution and access to knowledge in the TRIPS context. We conclude that the enhanced provisions of TRIPS are ill-suited to global pandemics. To ensure fairer global vaccine distribution, we argue that patent pools and further TRIPS amendments are needed to endow less and least-developed countries with the ability to implement government-use compulsory licenses and to negotiate compensation terms later under judicial review. Further, to enable countries lacking the technical manufacturing capabilities to produce vaccines under license, TRIPS needs to be amended to permit technology and know-how transfer (Holder, 2023).

A protocol for modeling the factors influencing the deployment of the COVID-19 vaccine across African countries.

Evidence fails to capture disparities amongst African countries in terms of the measure of administered COVID-19 vaccine doses per 100 people. Assessment of data on doses secured, administered, and supplied was undertaken to investigate quantitative measures that impacted COVID-19 vaccine deployment, thereby emphasizing distribution and supply indicators. We employ a full linear regression to identify independent variables that have an impact on vaccination rates, including macroeconomic indicators such as World Bank Income Classification, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita and various indices such as Health Access and Quality Index, Human Development Index, Global Peace Index, Education Index, Political Stability Index and Government Effectiveness. This analysis aims to construct a statistical model utilizing regression analysis to identify key drivers of COVID-19 vaccine deployment in Africa and offer insights into vaccination disparities in the continent. Recognizing the global importance of achieving high vaccination rates, the study sheds light on specific challenges faced by individual countries within Africa, thereby emphasizing the need for tailored efforts. Beyond COVID-19, the research contributes to understanding the relationship between vaccination rates and social indicators that, potentially impact broader public health concerns and global vaccination programs. This study provides a foundation for informed policymaking to enhance vaccine accessibility, inform targeted programs, and improve individual health systems, thereby addressing broader implications for global health.