Abstract

This article explores the contractual architecture of vaccine contracts, as well as the allocation of resulting vaccines in preparation for, and in response to, pandemics and large-scale epidemics. Drawing on contracts predominantly related to COVID-19 vaccines collected through publicly available databases, the work begins by providing an overview of the relationships between the parties entering into these agreements, the bargaining processes adopted, their timeline relative to market demand for vaccines, and the substantive obligations imposed by these contracts.

The essay then briefly considers the effects of this contractual architecture on the manufacturing and distribution of vaccines across the globe, highlighting allocative disparities in access to vaccines between populations in the Global North and the Global South.

ISSN

0028-7873

Keywords

vaccine, contracts, COVID-19, intellectual property, licensing, data, know-how

Disciplines

Contracts | Intellectual Property Law | Law | Medical Jurisprudence | Virus Diseases

Download

Share

COinS