Vaccine Inequity: A Threat to Africa’s Recovery from COVID-19

Vaccine inequity is a reality facing the Sub-Saharan Africa region as vaccine nationalism from the high income countries (HICs) leads to limited access to the life saving vaccines needed to end the pandemic. In Africa, a significant portion of the population has yet to be vaccinated against Covid-19; however, the barrier to access such vaccines, including capacity challenges, still persist despite the implementation of the COVAX facility meant to support the LMICs to boost vaccination. In this systematic review, we report that vaccine nationalism remains a challenge for LMICs as the HICs still hoard the vaccines and even bypass COVAX to procure doses directly from the manufacturers. Factors that promote vaccine hesitancy in Africa include misinformation regarding the Covid-19 vaccine, a lack of trust in politicians and the pharmaceutical industry, and concerns about vaccine safety and efficacy. The policies implemented to enhance vaccine coverage in Africa, such as mandates, community engagement, and partnerships, all seek to promote equity of vaccination and ending Covid-19.