Analysis

Prisons and jails should be prioritized for the coronavirus vaccine

Whether prisoners should be considered a priority group becomes an urgent question.

Fair access to COVID-19 vaccines—including who should be first in line—has been debated in many countries around the world. The combination of massive need and short supply requires authorities to define priorities. In doing so, they should ensure “the equitable protection and promotion of human well-being among all people of the world,” a standard put forward by the WHO. In this context, whether prisoners should be considered a priority group becomes an urgent question.

In other countries, the question does not seem to emerge in debates on vaccine prioritization, with the risk that people deprived of liberty would be left behind.

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Maïté De Rue

Open Society Justice Initiative

Maïté De Rue is a legal officer for national criminal justice reform with the Open Society Justice Initiative, where she focuses on criminal justice reforms, and in particular prosecutorial independence and accountability.