International cooperation in a non-ideal world: the example of COVAX

The world witnessed one of the fasted responses in history to a new disease in terms of drug and vaccine development. However, despite the fact that safe and effective vaccines for COVID-19 were developed at a remarkable pace, international cooperation seems to have failed regarding the global equitable allocation of vaccines. This article explores challenges to international cooperation in global health and specifically to the fair allocation of vaccines at a global scale. We will present major obstacles to cooperative efforts and an interesting answer such as the COVAX facility, a cooperative redistribution scheme that has recently been launched by WHO, CEPI and Gavi. Considering COVAX a laudable and necessary first step to improve international cooperation in health, we nevertheless argue that the facility needs to identify key areas of potential improvement.

Downscaling Planetary Boundaries to the National Level: A Review of Methods and Indicators

The practical implementation of the planetary boundaries’ (PB) conceptual implications is a challenge from the perspective of both global and national governance. (Schmidt, 2013; Biermann & Kim, 2020) This paper reviews the methods and indicators used in subsequent studies which focus on downscaling the PB concept to the national level. The conclusions confirm significant progress in identifying appropriate national indicators; however, also point at the need for further research to (1) develop a complex downscaling methodology; (2) consider additional variables to ensure just and equitable allocation principles; and (3) mainstream the PB into national policies.

Impact of economic disruptions and disease experiences on COVID-19 vaccination uptake in Asia: A study in Malaysia

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, individuals have had a variety of experiences with the disease and economic disruptions in Asia. We assessed how these experiences could impact COVID-19 vaccination intent and uptake in one of the Asian country, Malaysia. Two opt-in internet-based cross-sectional samples were collected: a March wave (26 March – 7 April 2021) and a June wave (22 June – 10 July 2021). Individuals were asked about their vaccination status, their employment status, and their experience with COVID-19 cases. The impact of economic disruptions and experiences with COVID-19 on COVID-19 vaccination was assessed through a multivariable, multinomial logistic regression model. Among 1,493 participants (735 in March and 758 in June wave), 26% were already vaccinated, 57% planned to vaccinate, and 17% had no plan to vaccinate. The number who had lost a job or earned less because of the pandemic was 30% in March and 36% in June. Across both waves, 5%-6% had a personal, very serious experience of COVID-19, 13%-16% knew of a family member or friend with a very serious experience of COVID-19, and 43%-61% knew of a very serious COVID-19 case through media. Notably, compared to those who worked the same amount throughout the pandemic, those who lost their job had lower odds of already being vaccinated (OR: 0.37; 95%CI: 0.23, 0.59), but similar odds of planning to become vaccinated. Personal, family/friend, and media experiences were also all related to increased odds of planning to vaccinated or being already vaccinated. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to large disruptions in people’s lives. People’s experiences during the pandemic impact their likelihood of being vaccinated or planning to vaccinate against COVID-19. Equitable allocation of COVID-19 vaccines will require outreach to groups with less stable employment and can leverage people’s experiences with disease during the pandemic.

Accessing justice: The impact of discretion, ‘deservedness’ and distributive justice on the equitable allocation of policing resources

The police are faced with a uniquely important role in the initiation of a process of justice. Through a framework of distributive justice, which examines both processes and outcomes of police encounters and the concrete and symbolic resources at their disposal, this paper seeks to analyse data from three policing projects over a 16-year period. The findings indicate a remarkably consistent story of barriers to justice which preclude the opportunity to access justice or of a satisfactory outcome or indeed any outcome at all. The lack of allocated concrete or symbolic resources was evident in complainants receiving limited time, investigation and voice. This paper argues that there is evidence of an unfair and inequitable distribution of resources to victims and potential victims of crime which is enabled by police discretion, justified by focusing on deservedness and personal choice and encouraged by the cultural language of stigmatisation of people and place.

Optimal Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccines in the Philippines

Vaccine allocation is a national concern especially for countries such as the Philippines that have limited resources in acquiring COVID-19 vaccines. As such, certain groups are suggested to be prioritized for vaccination to protect the most vulnerable before vaccinating others. Our model suggests an allocation of vaccines such that COVID-19 deaths are minimized while the prioritization framework is satisfied. Results of the model show that a vaccine coverage of at least 50 to 70% of the population can be enough for a community with limited supplies, and an increase in vaccine supply is beneficial if initial coverage is less than the specified target range. Also, among the vaccines considered in the study, the one with 89.9% effectiveness and has a 183 Philippine peso (Php) price per dose projected the least number of deaths. Compared to other model variations and common allocation approaches, the model has achieved both an optimal and equitable allocation. This will be helpful for policymakers in determining a vaccine distribution for a resource-constrained community.