ArticleJMIR research protocols2025
Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Vaccine Equity: Protocol for Exploring Vaccine Distribution Planning and Scheduling in Pandemics in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.
Article in JMIR research protocols, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Ethical Responsibility in Medical AI: A Semi-Systematic Thematic Review and Multilevel Governance Model.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Artificial intelligence in vaccine development: applications, implementation, and future directions.Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2026Review
- Could artificial intelligence gradually replace classical adjuvants?Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic highlighted significant disparities in vaccine distribution, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a potential tool to optimize vaccine distribution planning and scheduling. However, its ethical implications, including equity, transparency, bias, and accessibility, remain underexplored. Ensuring ethical AI implementation in vaccine distribution is crucial to addressing health equity challenges worldwide.
objectiveThis study aims to assess the ethical implications of AI-assisted vaccine distribution planning and scheduling in LMICs during pandemics. It seeks to evaluate AI's role in ensuring equitable vaccine access, analyze ethical concerns associated with its deployment, and propose an ethical framework to guide AI-based vaccine distribution strategies.
methodsOur multiphase qualitative research approach will combine a systematic scoping review, a witness seminar with key stakeholders (health care professionals, AI developers, policymakers, and bioethicists), and a meta-synthesis of findings. The scoping review will follow PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines, focusing on studies from 2019 to 2023. The witness seminar will provide firsthand insights into AI's ethical impact on vaccine equity. Thematic content analysis and qualitative coding will be used for data interpretation, with findings integrated into a policy-driven ethical framework.
resultsThis study received institutional ethical approval in October 2023. Recruitment commenced in mid-August 2024 through email requests to prospective participants, and recruitment for the witness seminar (focus group discussion) is still ongoing, with 7 expert participants confirmed. Data collection is projected to conclude by August 2025. Preliminary literature analysis from the scoping review is ongoing, and qualitative data analysis from the witness seminar is scheduled for September 2025. The final results and proposed ethical framework are expected to be published in early 2026.
conclusionsBy examining the ethical implications of AI in vaccine distribution, this research will provide actionable recommendations for policymakers, health care organizations, and AI developers. The findings will contribute to the discourse on responsible AI deployment in health care worldwide, ensuring transparency, fairness, and inclusivity in pandemic response strategies. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/76634.
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