As the Covid-19 vaccinations gain approval for distribution, the question as to equitably distribution remains. It's a question many Penn researchers are exploring, including Philosphy Professor, Kok-Chor Tan. “[L]iteral equality isn’t properly sensitive to variations on the ground,” he says. “It’s not attuned to the way the pandemic is actually impacting different countries.” From the article:

“Our proposal said that in the first phase, you allocate according to a country’s needs,” says Tan, who studies human rights and global justice. “Distribute with the aim of minimizing premature death due to COVID-19. It’s not equal allocation but rather equitable allocation.” The second phase addresses those same issues, plus tries to reduce what the researchers called “serious economic and social deprivations” like school and nonessential business closures. The third and final phase moves to reduce community transmission.

The full article can be found here.