Pfizer vaccines are seen kept on the table at the Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center in Miami, Florida on April 15, 2021. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP)
May 1, 2021: Calls are growing for the United States to join an effort to force makers of vaccine to waive intellectual property rights to coronavirus vaccines and treatments so many more countries can start making them.
Hundreds of health experts said in a statement to the Biden administration: “We are public health faculty, administrators, students and practitioners moved to action by the urgent need for the United States to support the temporary waiver of some trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights rules proposed by India and South Africa at the World Trade Organization during the COVID-19 emergency.”
The group noted Washington’s influential opposition to the proposed waiver.
Growing calls for America to soften its stance have come amid a major crisis in India, which has seen a daily infection number surpassing 400,000.
Waiver is not just humanitarian, but it’s also scientifically necessary, health experts say.
“Until vaccines, testing, and treatments are accessible to everyone everywhere we risk recurring new variants, drug resistance and greater loss of life and suffering at home and globally,” the statement to the US government said.
“Unless countries cooperate and share medical technology to speed production, there simply will not be sufficient supply of vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments for many countries _ particularly developing countries _ to manage COVID-19. Many countries may not have access to widespread vaccination until as late as 2034.”