A Recipe For Vaccine Nationalism?

Prabhala and Menghaney devote an opinion piece to considering how we have ended up with a situation where the 92 poorest countries on the planet will not get meaningful supplies of vaccines for Covid-19, for some considerable time (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/apr/02/india-in-charge-of-developing-world-covid-vaccine-supply-unsustainable). Prabhala and Menghaney note that the Serum Institute of India (who signed an early contract with Oxford University) is now producing billions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine. These preparations were not intended, for rich countries (who can get vaccines from elsewhere). Doses have gone to the UK and Saudi Arabia. We have now, however, arrived at a situation, where the output of the Serum Institute will firstly be used to vaccinate India's own massive population. Prabhala and Menghaney say that things could have been more equitable. Oxford University (who developed the vaccine) could have stuck to its initial plan to allow anyone, anywhere to make its vaccine. They were, however, persuaded to sign a deal with AstraZeneca and Covax (a well-intentioned, Gates-supported foundation). AstraZeneca and Covax could have licenced as many manufacturers, in as many countries as they could, to make enough vaccine for the world. As it is, Prabhala and Menghaney feel, the Indian government (in spite of never contributing a penny to the development of the vaccine) have effectively finished up in charge of supplying the AstraZeneca jab to every poor country on the planet. Predictably, that government is putting its self-interest first.