THE PRODUCTION AND FLOW OF KNOWLEDGE IN THE INTERNATIONAL RACE FOR COVID-19 VACCINES

This article employs the perspective of science and technology studies to follow the course of the international race for cown-19 vaccines, examining the epistemological, organizational, regulatory and financial aspects that enabled their development. The production and flow of knowledge was key in the response to cove-19. The impact of the pandemic enabled the conditions for rapid advances in research and mobilized the global ecosystem of biomedical innovation. International competition for control of the vaccines shaped project development, while domestic differences in the autonomy of the regulatory bodies and the actions of the scientific community determined the public scrutiny and authorization processes. It is argued that the interaction between the public sphere and technical and scientific development configured the available options for international immunization and the controversies around security, effectiveness and justice that have framed vaccine distribution and access.