Alternatives

ABSTRACT

The inequitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines that we see today must be situated within the historical context of colonialism, global capitalism, and the othering of the Global South. The effects of these structural factors have resulted in an exclusive preoccupation with profitmaking through vaccine manufacturing at the expense of humanitarian concern. The deliberate neglect in the vaccination of those in the Global South will enable the virus to survive and mutate in marginalized parts of the world. Notably, in our globally-connected world, this neglect will provide opportunities for new variants to flourish and spread, thus contributing to the likely emergence of new pandemic threats in the future. This paper is part of the SPE Theme on the Political Economy of COVID-19.