US Senators urge Biden to support India's proposal of COVID vaccine patent waiver

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, United States Senators have urged President Joe Biden to support India and South Africa request at the World Trade Organization to temporarily relax intellectual property rules so that the coronavirus vaccines can be produced everywhere. The countries who are struggling to inoculate their populations will also be able to develop it. The letter said that Biden should "prioritize people, the lawmakers wrote in a letter sent to the White House.

Ten Senators write letter to Biden

The letter was sent by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, along with Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Sherrod Brown of Ohio. Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Edward Markey of Massachusetts, Jeff Merkley of Oregon, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Raphael Warnock of Georgia also signed the letter. The Senators in their letter says that the testing, making vaccines and treatment should be accessible everywhere. 

"Allowing countries ot manufacture locally will expedite access to vaccines and treatment, prevent unnecessary deaths, expedite global vaccination efforts, and facilitate a stronger, faster economic recovery, the letter said. 

The TRIPS waiver proposed by India and South Africa in October 2020 would temporarily lift certain intellectual property barriers and allow countries to locally manufacture COVID-19 diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines. Waving the rules will help in ensuring the most effective response to a global pandemic. The letter further said that the temporary waiver is supported by more than 100 countries. The letter mentioned that vaccination effort in the US cannot successfully combat COVID-19 without the support of another country.

Unless countries cooperate and share medical technology, there simply will not be sufficient supply of vacines, diagnostics and treatments for many countries particularrly developing countries to effectively manange COVID-19.

Earlier this week, a group of 170 former world leaders and Nobel laureates earlier this week sent a similar letter to Biden urging him to support a temporary waiver of the WTO’s intellectual property rules. However,.opponents, including pharmaceutical companies have raised concern that it would set a dangerous precedent in allowing scientists around the globe to copy American and European companies’ research. The former President Donald Trump administration had also opposed calls for the waiver.

(Inputs and Image from AP)