vaccine equity

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the principle that vaccines should be distributed fairly across all populations regardless of income, geography, or political power, so that those at highest risk of severe disease can access protection; vaccine inequity became acutely visible during the COVID-19 pandemic when wealthy nations secured the vast majority of early vaccine doses while low-income countries faced prolonged shortfalls; the COVAX facility was established to address this disparity, though structural inequities in manufacturing capacity, intellectual property law, and health system delivery remained significant barriers