History Shows U.S.-Russia Vaccine Science Diplomacy Could Help Ease Present-Day Tensions

PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases: Russian-United States vaccine science diplomacy: Preserving the legacy
Peter J. Hotez, editor in chief of PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases

“…Could Cold War lessons in [vaccine diplomacy] ease today’s escalating tensions between the U.S. and Russian governments? … [E]xtraordinary opportunities remain to meld our scientific activities to eliminate the world’s major neglected and emerging diseases. … A joint U.S.-Russian initiative to develop new neglected disease vaccines is an achievable goal and one that could begin through the nonprofit Sabin Vaccine Institute, which has already launched similar U.S.-led initiatives with Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as Malaysia. Since the 1950s, joint U.S.-Russian cooperation has shown a dual track record of improving both foreign relations and scientific collaborations. Vaccine science diplomacy is not a panacea for heightened tensions between the U.S. and Russia, but the approach has proven valuable for promoting joint humanitarian efforts while simultaneously producing life-saving vaccines” (5/25).

The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.

KFF Headquarters: 185 Berry St., Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94107 | Phone 650-854-9400
Washington Offices and Barbara Jordan Conference Center: 1330 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 | Phone 202-347-5270

www.kff.org | Email Alerts: kff.org/email | facebook.com/KFF | twitter.com/kff

The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news, KFF is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.