US Congresswoman nominates Dr. María Elena Bottazzi for Nobel Peace Prize

US Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, in a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, nominated doctors Peter Hotez and Maria Elena Bottazzi, of Honduran origin, for the prestigious 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.

Both are deans of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and co-directors of the Vaccine Development Center at Texas Children’s Hospital.

Fletchet argues that both doctors did tremendous work to develop and distribute a low-cost COVID-19 vaccine to people around the world without patent limitation.

“As people around the world face the many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the effort to develop and distribute a low-cost vaccine to all people in all nations without limitation of patents represents the work of brotherhood among nations and people that the Nobel Peace Prize represents and celebrates,” said Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher.

“Dr. Hotez and Dr. Bottazzi’s effort to develop the CORBEVAX vaccine is truly one of international cooperation and partnership to bring health, safety, and peace throughout the world by creating a COVID-19 vaccine and making it available and accessible to all. It is a contribution that is of the greatest benefit to humanity,” he added.

After sending the letter, Congresswoman Fletcher told Hotez and Bottazzi about the nomination.

“I am honored that Congresswoman Fletcher nominated us for the Nobel Peace Prize,” said Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and co-director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center.

“Dr. Bottazzi and I have worked together for years, and our purpose has never changed: to bring attention to the neglected diseases of poverty and to build a new generation of vaccines in pursuit of global vaccine diplomacy. With our COVID vaccine, which is cheap and easy to produce, our intention was to make it available to millions of people around the world who would not otherwise have access to COVID vaccines,” he added.

“We are very grateful to Congresswoman Fletcher for recognizing our work and we are very flattered that she has nominated us for this prestigious award,” said Maria Elena Bottazzi, Associate Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and Tropical Medicine of Baylor College of Medicine. Co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital.

“We have a team of scientists who have worked diligently for years to bring appropriate and affordable health technologies to those who have been ignored around the world. When the COVID pandemic hit, we wanted to make a difference and had great confidence that our previously developed coronavirus vaccine technology could lead to a global solution. Hopefully it will be a game changer for many countries.”