Reflections on COVID-19 and the ‘Vaccine Question’

Grassroots, the Newsletter of the Research Committee on Social Movements, Collective Action and Social Change (RC 48)

Newsletter Central Topic: RC48 Members’ Reflections on COVID-19 and the ‘Vaccine Question’

Call for collaborations

 While vaccine rollout has gained pace especially in the US and Europe, many of the poor countries have not even started vaccinating their citizens. As a result, the “luckier” portions of the global population have already begun enjoying outdoor dining and concerts or making summer plans, while people in countries such as Brazil, India or Senegal are facing severe medical oxygen scarcity. On top of all this, as the global pharmaceutical industry is increasing its pressure for the imposition of vaccine patents, despite the fact that the vaccine research received generous public funds, what seems to be emerging is a shocking and immoral “global vaccine apartheid”.

In light of these developments, we are inviting our members to share their observations and reflections on the ‘vaccine question’ for the upcoming issue of our newsletter Grassroots:

• What are some of the ways through which communities are organizing to develop public health responses in the face of vaccine shortages and disparities in access?
• What roles can social movements play to build pressure on rich countries and global pharmaceutical monopolies to suspend patents and ensure global vaccine equity?
• How can communities at local, national and global levels be mobilized to fight for a “People’s vaccine” against the threat of vaccine nationalism?
• What can we learn from earlier struggles for access to treatment, care and support (such as the activism for equitable access to treatment for HIV/AIDS)?

You can send your contributions and reflections (maximum 1,000 words) by email to the editors of Grassroots, Kaan Agartan (agartan@gmail.com) or Camilo Tamayo Gomez (camilotamayogomez@gmail.com). Also, short contributions addressing other vaccine-related topics are more than welcome. The deadline to receive contributions is Wednesday 30 June 2021.