Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic has let to an unprecedented crisis all over the world. The main issue of this crisis lies in its global threat to public health. This necessitates urgent action and global mobilisation to minimise its negative effects. Currently, the priority of all states is to save lives and pursue a safe health policy based on human rights standards, i.e. on equality, universality, and equity. It should be emphasised that human rights are obligations that states must observe, as citizens have specific claims to protect their rights. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of not only human existence but also of health systems around the world. It has become a global problem that requires a coordinated response based on solidarity, unity of action, and respect for human rights. In this unprecedented situation, the European Commission, aware of the need to cooperate - in the field of sharing scientific achievements and their applications, in order to accelerate the process of effective therapies and vaccines that will serve to immunize entire societies - has developed a strategy for vaccination against COVID-19 (Communication on the EU Strategy for COVID-19 vaccines). The purpose of this article is to outline the main objectives of the EU's COVID-19 vaccine development strategy.