On November 2, 2020, Professor Alta Charo joined the Law & Health Care Program for a presentation on “Challenges in Equitable Allocation of SARS CoV-2 Vaccine.” Professor Charo is the Warren P. Knowles Professor of Law and Bioethics at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and is on the National Academies’ committee that published the Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine.
Professor Charo discussed the challenges of COVID-19 vaccine allocation as well as uncertainties in vaccine development and the willingness of U.S. residents to get vaccinated. Professor Charo also shared her insights into the development and fundamental principles of the National Academies’ Framework and some key comparisons with other such frameworks. Finally, Professor Charo shared a summary of the recommended framework, which included the leverage and expansion of existing vaccine distribution systems, structures, and partnerships across all levels of government, the provision of necessary resources to ensure equitable allocation, distribution, and administration of the vaccine, the provision of such a vaccine with no out-of-pocket costs for those being vaccinated, the construction of an evidence base for effective strategies for COVID-19 vaccine promotion and acceptance, and the support by the US of equitable allocation of COVID-19 vaccine globally.
The presentation was followed by a Q&A session moderated by Professor Leslie Meltzer Henry, who took questions from participants. The audience included a variety of legal academicians, practicing health care providers, health lawyers, alumni, and students.
This webinar is part of the Rothenberg Health Care Law & Policy Speaker Series. The series, established with funding from the Karen Rothenberg and Jeffrey Seltzer Law & Health Care Program Endowment, focuses on contemporary issues in health care law and policy. You can find a link to the full recording here.