The pandemic has revealed stark inequities that much of the world has long ignored. One of the most dramatic illustrations is the unequal distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, in which fewer than 10% of people in low-income countries have had a single dose, while rich nations have stockpiled enough vaccines to immunize their entire populations multiple times over. Such inequity is not only unjust—it also makes the world vulnerable to health emergencies, including the perpetuation of this pandemic. In a set of stories for Nature and Scientific American, science journalist Amy Maxmen covers vaccine inequality, including efforts to prepare for the next pandemic by changing the status quo.
