The development of not one but a handful of COVID-19 vaccines in less than one year is a momentous and unprecedented scientific achievement. Even so, demand for the vaccines far outstrips supply, and several governments have struggled to distribute the few vaccines they do have to their citizens in a timely manner. Moreover, some rich economies have hoarded vaccines at the expense of poorer nations. Panelists on this week’s episode of Global Insights will discuss the politics of vaccinations, whether a fully vaccinated world is even possible, and what needs to be done to get there.
Panelists
Liliana Abreu, PhD in Public Health, is a postdoctoral researcher at the Development Research Group, Department of Politics & Public Administration at the University of Konstanz. Her research interests and experience focus on behavioral studies, social epidemiology, and more recently, on the impact of social adversity experiences, namely violence and trauma, as social causes of mortality and morbidity.
Maria De Jesus is an associate professor at American University’s School of International Service and a research fellow at the university’s Center on Heath, Risk, and Society. Her areas of expertise are global health inequities, immigrant and migrant health, and culturally responsive and effective health communication.
Alan Whiteside is a Professor at Wilfrid Laurier University’s School of International Policy and Governance and at the BSIA. He is a member of the Governing Council of Waterford Kamhlaba United World College in Swaziland. In 2015 he was invested as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. Dr. Whiteside’s current research program focuses on interrelated areas of global health concerns.
Moderated by Ann Fitz-Gerald, Director, Balsillie School of International Affairs.
