Weapons of Mass Immunization: Exploring the Interplay of Vaccine Diplomacy and Geopolitics in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The most effective way to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus is through mass vaccination efforts. However, worldwide access to effective vaccines remains unequal. A select few countries have enjoyed greater access to vaccines, which I refer to as vaccine-rich nations. These countries have what others desperately need and have been in a position to use this access to influence their relationships with other nations. In the context of a worldwide pandemic, have vaccine-rich nations capitalized on this opportunity to impact their foreign relations? How has the development of COVID-19 vaccines impacted economic and cultural ties? In an era of heightened nationalism and extreme-interconnectedness, how have vaccinerich nations facilitated vaccine access for other nations? How do these countries balance their own national interest with international health goals? Every country has their own unique foreign policy objectives that underpin their actions. Providing vaccine doses to other countries is one way to boost the public image of a leader or a country. However, leaders often wish to be seen as doing all that they can for their own citizens to maintain domestic support. Access to vaccines has been impacted by the limitations surrounding production capacity. This resource scarcity and the rapid transmission of the virus made COVID-19 vaccines an incredibly valuable commodity. All vaccine-rich countries have taken different approaches to their vaccine diplomacy. China in particular has used the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to expand their scope of influence and economic ties to new regions, while Russia and the U.S. both fell short of accomplishing this—albeit for different reasons.