Ensuring Vaccine Supply for the Next Pandemic Flu
2014
This case highlights the challenges of managing externalities and sovereignty through the example of pandemic flu. Recent outbreaks of both the H5N1 and H1N1influenza strains have illustrated that the global institutions charged with preventing and responding to these pandemics are not up to the task. With both, there were significant problems with the development, production, and distribution of flu vaccines. Indeed, stemming a modern day pandemic depends on the rapid development, sufficient production, and equitable, timely access to influenza vaccines, all within a complex global context. Compounding these challenges are the disease-specific “unknowns” related to the emergence of a new virus, including severity levels, transmission ease, human immunity, and drug vulnerability. Specific themes covered in Ensuring Vaccine Supply for the Next Pandemic Flu: Will the World Be Ready? include issues of sovereignty; the legitimacy, authority, and credibility of the World Health Organization (WHO); uncertainty and risk; world dependence on private vaccine manufacturers for an essential public health good; health as a security issue; and equity issues in vaccine distribution.
Ensuring Vaccine Supply for the Next Pandemic Flu - Teaching Case
Related Files:
Source:
Moon S, Gordon R. Ensuring Vaccine Supply for the Next Pandemic Flu: Will the World Be Ready? Global Health Education and Learning Incubator at Harvard University, Connors Center for Women’s Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard University 2014. https://repository.gheli.harvard.edu/repository/10686.