COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine nationalism and counterfeit products: Discourse and emerging research themes

Abstract

Although “vaccine nationalism” and vaccine diplomacy have thus far typified the COVID-19 vaccine rollouts around the globe, there remain limited scholarly insights on global vaccine distribution strategies. This research note (RN) examines the global vaccine distribution strategies and implications for public policy and governments. In conceptualizing the global vaccine distribution strategies into three competing perspectives (i.e., “vaccine nationalism,” vaccine diplomacy, and global initiative), this article highlights the divergent effects of different approaches in terms of ushering elements of nationalism and ethnocentrism. By contextualizing the discourse on the COVID-19 pandemic into the three competing perspectives and highlighting the role of pharmaceutical companies and COVID-19 vaccine passport, the study also offers pathways for further examination of the subject incorporating the contextual conditions.