Competing Theories on Global and Regional Vaccine Inequities: A Scoping Literature Review Within the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT: Background/Objectives: Despite global efforts, COVID-19 revealed severe spatial vaccine inequities, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Scholars across disciplines proposed numerous-and often competing-terms and theories to explain these disparities. In this review and within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, we assess the usage, definition, and appropriateness of these terms and their linked theories or frameworks. Methods: We conducted a scoping review aiming to clarify key definitions, concepts, and frameworks of eight prominent terms used in the literature regarding COVID-19 global and/or regional vaccine inequities (i.e., vaccine nationalism, vaccine apartheid, vaccine colonialism, vaccine imperialism,

SUBMITTER: Puchner KP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12737482 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature