New York, Sep 5 (TIWN) At least 19 global health experts have proposed a new, three-phase plan for vaccine distribution -- called the Fair Priority Model -- which aims to reduce premature deaths and other irreversible health consequences from Covid-19.

"The idea of distributing vaccines by population appears to be an equitable strategy," said study lead author Ezekiel J. Emanuel from the University of Pennsylvania in the US. "But the fact is that normally, we distribute things based on how severe there is suffering in a given place, and, in this case, we argue that the primary measure of suffering ought to be the number of premature deaths that a vaccine would prevent," Emanuel added. In their proposal, the authors point to three fundamental values that must be considered when distributing a Covid-19 vaccine among countries: Benefiting people and limiting harm, prioritizing the disadvantaged, and giving equal moral concern for all individuals.