The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the world in various ways. Its
impact has taken a toll on the economic well-being of countries worldwide, and
affects the well-being of individuals, families, and the global community at
large. Although the world has gained some level of control over the spread of
the virus, the threat is evident. The pandemic poses a threat to millions of
people who are already vulnerable to food insecurity, malnutrition, and other disasters. In addition, there are frequent
outbreaks of another wave of increased
infections around the world. Facing the pandemic, vaccines have been
instrumental in reducing infection rates and ensuring that the world is a safer
place. However, the distribution of the vaccines has demonstrated that national
governments are ill-equipped to deal with the pandemic. Wealthy and developed
countries have more access to vaccines, compared to underdeveloped and developing
countries. Ideally, equitable distribution of the vaccines can be achieved if
they are categorized as GPDs. This paper explores the effectiveness of
declaring COVID-19 vaccines as GPDs to manage the pandemic at a global level.
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