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Policies and public health efforts have not addressed the gendered impacts of disease outbreaks.[1] The response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) appears no different. Although sex-disaggregated data for COVID-19 show equal numbers of cases between men and women so far, there seem to be sex differences in mortality and vulnerability to the disease.[2] Emerging evidence suggests that more men than women are dying, potentially due to sex-based immunological[3] or gendered differences, such as patterns and prevalence of smoking.[4] However, current sex-disaggregated data are incomplete, cautioning against early assumptions. Experience from past outbreaks shows the importance of incorporating a gender analysis into preparedness and response efforts to improve the effectiveness of health interventions and promote gender and health equity goals. [Extracted from the article]

Pandemics such as COVID-19 are gendered with regard to who is infected, who dies, who provides care, who is secured against violence and economic change, and who leads and makes decisions.[1] Vaccines are no different and there is a need to address male bias in vaccine development to make women safe from deadly diseases.[2] For example, clinical trials that are not done in both men and women can raise adverse outcomes during implementation due to sex-based differences in immunological response.[3] The excitement and awe at the speed of COVID-19 vaccine development and delivery needs to be attentive to the social and political dynamics in which the vaccine is delivered - women's work and their security are at the heart of this. As has been seen during COVID-19 thus far, violence against health-care workers exists[11] and might be amplified over access to the finite resource of COVID-19 vaccines. Graph Debate over COVID-19 vaccines has rightfully focused on discovery and development, vaccine hesitancy, and equitable access. [Extracted from the article]

A letter to the editor is presented regarding provision of resources to the World Health Organization (WHO) by its member states so that WHO can continue to be a global health leader after the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak in west Africa.