The US has announced its support for a global waiver on patent protections for COVID-19 vaccines in a major policy reversal.
The move was in a response to the “extraordinary circumstances” of the COVID-19 pandemic, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in a statement.
“The Administration believes strongly in intellectual property protections, but in service of ending this pandemic, supports the waiver of those protections for COVID-19 vaccines. “We will actively participate in text-based negotiations at the World Trade Organisation needed to make that happen. “These negotiations will take time given the consensus-based nature of the institution and the complexity of the issues involved.”
The Biden administration has announced support for a global waiver on patent protections for COVID-19 vaccines. Picture: AFPDeveloped countries are quickly vaccinating their citizens while poorer nations are being left behind – which critics blame in part on patent protections. Picture: AFP
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