M. (Maurizia) Mezza PhD
PhD Candidate and Junior Lecturer
Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences
GPIO : Docenten GPIO
Programme group: Anthropology of Health, Care and the Body
Area of expertise: Pharmacovigiliance, vaccination, gender, intersectionality
Visiting address
- Nieuwe Achtergracht 166
Postal address
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Postbus 15629
1001 NC Amsterdam
Contact details
Social media
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Profile
I work at the intersection of academia and the non-governmental sector, focusing on global health (vaccination and pharmacovigilance) and climate change. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate in Medical Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam, where I study vaccines, epidemiological practices, pharmacovigilance and intersectionality. As part of the NGO Bridge to Health USA, I am the co-pi of the project “Miltidimensional vulnerability to dengue and diarrea in Caballococha”, which is a transdisciplinarity research developed in collaboration with Organismo Andino de Salud Hipolito Henao and The Lancet Climate Change Countdown, with a seed grant of the Inter-American Institute.
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Research
Research methods
- Ethnography
- Patchwork ethnography
- Transdisciplinarity
Current research projects
- Unveiling Vaccine’s safety: pharmacovgilance and the monitoring of vaccine side effect
This PhD project analyzes the system responsible for ensuring vaccine safety post-approval. Focusing on two case studies—the HPV vaccine in Colombia and COVID-19 vaccines in the EU—this research highlights tensions within evidence hierarchies, critically examining what and who may become invisible in the process of producing evidence on suspected side effects.
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Publications
2025
- Mezza, M. (2025). Entangled evidence: epistemic injustice, and systemic neglect in the assessment of menstrual disorders following COVID-19 vaccines. Critical public health. https://doi.org/10.1080/09581596.2024.2446763
2022
- Blume, S. S., & Mezza, M. (2022). Epilogue: States and Vaccines in the age of Covid-19. In S. Blume, & B. Baylac-Pauouly (Eds.), Immunization and States: The Politics of Making Vaccines (pp. 199-217). Routledge. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003130345-10 [details]
2021
Mezza, M., & Blume, S. (2021). Turning suffering into side effects: Responses to HPV vaccination in Colombia. Social Science & Medicine, 282, Article 114135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114135 [details]
2025
- Mezza, M., & Lopes Cardozo, T. A. (2025). Listening to the Earth: Inga Leader Hernando Chindoy Visits Amsterdam for Two Dialogues on Biocultural Peace. Web publication or website, Amsterdam Centre for Conflict Studies, Universiteit van Amsterdam.
2020
- Blume, S., & Mezza, M. (2020). What when there’s a vaccine?. Web publication or website, Social Europe. https://www.socialeurope.eu/what-when-theres-a-vaccine [details]
2023
- Mezza, M., & Blume, S. S. (2023). Pandemic preparedness: new vaccines are not enough: Rapid deployment of vaccines is the key lesson being taken from the Covid-19 pandemic. It should not be the only one. Social Europe. https://www.socialeurope.eu/pandemic-preparedness-new-vaccines-are-not-enough
2021
- Blume, S. S. (Author), & Mezza, M. (Author). (2021). COVID-19 vaccines and the fear of side effects. Web publication or website https://culturico.com/2021/04/11/covid-19-vaccines-and-the-fear-of-side-effects/
- Blume, S. S., & Mezza, M. (2021). LA TRASPARENZA DEI DATI CONTRO LA PAURA DEI VACCINI. il Mulino, 21(1). https://www.rivistailmulino.it/a/vaccini-trasparenza-e-monitoraggio-per-rassicurare-gli-esitanti
- Blume, S., & Mezza, M. (2021). How the sun was privatized: Vaccines at the mercy of markets. Web publication or website, Eurozine. https://www.eurozine.com/how-the-sun-was-privatized/
2020
- Blume, S. S. (Author), & Mezza, M. (Author). (2020). Another Bogus Vaccine Attack From RFK Jr.. Web publication or website, The Daily Beast. https://www.thedailybeast.com/robert-f-kennedy-jrs-attack-on-hpv-vaccines-is-bogus-and-the-timing-couldnt-be-worse
Media appearance
- Mezza, M. & Blume, S. (02-04-2020). E quando ci sarà un vaccino cosa succederà? [Print] Il Manifesto. E quando ci sarà un vaccino cosa succederà?. https://ilmanifesto.it/e-quando-ci-sara-un-vaccino-cosa-succedera/
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Ancillary activities
No ancillary activities
Mezza, M., & Blume, S. (2021). Turning suffering into side effects: Responses to HPV vaccination in Colombia. Social Science & Medicine, 282, Article 114135.