Social Justice in Pandemic Preparedness

This article reviews the history of vulnerability to influenza pandemics of disadvantaged groups, citing socioeconomic factors and larger scale forces such as poverty, racism, and gender as contributors. The authors discuss how pandemic planning includes concepts of justice, however these are procedural in nature, ie. fair procedures and neutral decision-making, which do not address biases and unequal social contexts, thereby worsening outcomes for disadvantaged people. The authors review evidence of the role of social risk factors for disease and then argue for pandemic planning to include a social justice approach, partnering with at-risk communities, and giving preference in distribution of resources.