COVID-19 and public health stamp collection

Collection

Identifier: MSS 456

Scope and Contents

The COVID-19 and public health stamp collection contains stamps highlighting the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021. Also included in the collection are stamps commemorating the global eradication of smallpox and the anniversary of the smallpox vaccine, and a stamp from the SARS outbreak, issued by CHINA in 2003.

Dates

1978-2021
Majority of material found within 2020

Biographical / Historical

COVID-19 emerged in early December 2019 as cases of "unusual pneumonia" in Wuhan, China. The virus spread and by the end of December the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a public health alert. On January 30, 2020, WHO declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, and on February 11, 2020, WHO officially named it Corona virus Disease 2019, or COVID-19. The United States declared a National Emergency on March 13, 2020. Philadelphia-area schools closed on March 13, and on March 16 Philadelphia announced a 2-week closure of all non-essential businesses. Philadelphia’s Stay At Home Order was issued on March 22. By March 26, the United States had the highest number of confirmed cases in the world, with New York City as the epicenter. Chinese scientists shared the genetic sequence of the "novel coronavirus" in January 2020 and scientists around the globe soon began working on a vaccine. By December both the Pfizer-BioNTech, and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines received Emergency Use Authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and initial doses were administered to healthcare workers and at-risk individuals. Since 2021 the FDA has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (now Comirnaty) to prevent COVID-19 in people aged 12 and older, and the Moderna vaccine (now Spikevax) to prevent it in people aged 18 and older. Both vaccines are authorized for children aged 6 months and up. The FDA has also authorized the Novavax adjuvanted vaccine to prevent COVID-19 in people aged 12 and older. Since December 2020, when the first vaccines were administered, millions of people have been vaccinated against COVID-19. WHO declared an end to the Public Health Emergency of International Concern for COVID-19 on May 5, 2023. WHO acknowledges that new variants may still pose a threat, but that the vaccine and boosters have reduced the death rate and the spread of COVID-19, allowing countries to return to normal. There are people who continue to wear masks in public to protect themselves against COVID-19 and for whom life has not returned to normal.

At the height of the pandemic, many countries issued COVID-19 stamps. These stamps served to signal the government's commitment to fighting the virus, to highlight the work of scientists working on a vaccine, and to honor healthcare and other essential workers.

Extent

0.2 Linear feet (1 half document box)

Language of Materials

English

French

Arabic

Kirghiz; Kyrgyz

Portuguese

Chinese

Additional Description

Overview

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries issued special stamps. These stamps served to signal the government's commitment to fighting the virus, to highlight the work of scientists working on a vaccine, and to honor healthcare and other essential workers.

This small collection contains COVID-19 stamps from around the world, collected between March and April 2022.

Arrangement

Series I: COVID-19 stamps is arranged alphabetically. Series II: Public health stamps is arranged chronologically. Note that files are grouped by accession and therefore some files contain stamps from multiple countries.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Stamps in this collection were purchased by the former Library Director from sites such as Ebay, Mystic Stamps, and Hipstamp.com between March and April of 2022.

Bibliography

Dei-Tumi, S. (2020a). Covid-19 pandemic response efforts: Pivotal dates and resources (1/2). https://sway.cloud.microsoft/0MukrUgYXaMbqDL3 Dei-Tumi, S. (2020b). Covid-19 pandemic response efforts: Pivotal dates and resources (2/2). https://sway.cloud.microsoft/lBKmICEndG2YUE3w?ref=Link Food and Drug Administration. (2021). Authorizations of Emergency Use of Two Biological Products During the COVID-19 Pandemic; Availability. Federal Register. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/19/2021-01022/authorizations-of-emergency-use-of-two-biological-products-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-availability Heyward, G., & Silver, M. (2023, May 5). Who ends global health emergency declaration for covid-19. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/05/05/1174269442/who-ends-global-health-emergency-declaration-for-covid-19 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (n.d.). History of covid-19: Outbreaks and vaccine timeline. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/history-disease-outbreaks-vaccine-timeline/covid-19 Rogers, K. (2024, March 20). Covid-19 vaccine. Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/COVID-19-vaccine. Lefrère B, Recoing A, Delacour H. COVID-19 Postage Stamps—Messages in a Message. JAMA. 2021;325(14):1377–1379. doi:10.1001/jama.2021.2139