A statement from United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai said, “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.” The statement was made during talks at the World Trade Organization’s (WTO’s) general council meeting. The proposal was first floated last fall, but many wealthy countries opposed it. The WTO will require unanimous agreement on the temporary waiver of property rights, and is expected to formally vote on the issue in June. Proponents of the waiver say it will be in place for a handful of years, until the pandemic is under control. “This is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures,” Tai said. “The Administration’s aim is to get as many safe and effective vaccines to as many people as fast as possible.”
Source: US backs waiving COVID vaccine property rights | CIDRAP


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