Description
A new phenomena and term that has entered the international relations lexicon since 2020 is: “vaccine nationalism”. This concept describes the competition amongst nation states on vaccines for Covid-19. Vaccine nationalism has been defined in numerous ways by observers and experts during this period. This paper conceptualizes vaccine nationalism into three categories: (a) as an element of soft power in which manufacturing countries see it as a matter of prestige to be the supplier (and donor) of vaccines to the world; (b) competition amongst nations to gather supplies of vaccines for one’s own population as part of a zero-sum game; (c) rejecting and discrediting vaccines from unfriendly countries to deter their soft power. The paper uses various case studies to illustrate the different facets of vaccine nationalism. A number of implications emerge from this conceptual assessment for international relations scholarship and the international policy arena. It especially advances the research on global soft power moves through this new arena of vaccine competition and nationalism.
