Former world leaders call on Biden to suspend Covid-19 vaccine patents

[Donkees]

Gordon Brown one of 175 figures urging action to boost inoculation rates in the developing world

Aime Williams in Washington YESTERDAY

Excerpt:

A group of 175 former world leaders and Nobel laureates is urging the US to take “urgent action” to suspend intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines to help boost global inoculation rates.

A measure to allow countries to temporarily override patent rights for Covid-related medical products was proposed at the World Trade Organization by India and South Africa in October, and has since been backed by nearly 60 countries.

Doing so would allow developing countries to make their own copies of the vaccines that have been developed by pharmaceutical companies without fear of being sued for intellectual property infringements.

“A WTO waiver is a vital and necessary step to bringing an end to this pandemic. It must be combined with ensuring vaccine knowhow and technology is shared openly,” the signatories, comprising more than 100 Nobel prizewinners and over 70 former world leaders, wrote in a letter to US president Joe Biden, seen by the Financial Times.

They added a waiver in tandem with other measures would “expand global manufacturing capacity, unhindered by industry monopolies that are driving the dire supply shortages blocking vaccine access”.

https://www.ft.com/content/43fd53f5-2b82-4e41-981c-8544a6ce996b

[PortTack]

1. The more we do now worldwide, the sooner we will get over the pandemic here in this country

As well

[underpants]

3. Yep. Prevention vs. cure

[niyad]

2. Thank you for posting this. Much clearer explanation than the video.