COVID-19: Joe Biden boosts world vaccine sharing commitment to 80 Mn doses

United States President Joe Biden on Monday, May 17, said that the US will share an additional 20 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines with the world in the coming six weeks. This is because the domestic demand for shots has dropped and global disparities in distribution have grown more evident. Biden said, “We know America will never be fully safe until the pandemic that’s raging globally is under control”.

The doses will come from the existing production of Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccine stocks. This will also boost the global vaccine sharing commitment from the US to 80 million.

At the White House, Biden said, “Our nation’s going to be the arsenal of vaccines for the rest of the world”. He added that compared to other countries like Russia and China that have sought to leverage their domestically produced doses, “we will not use our vaccines to secure favors from other countries”.

As of now, the US has shared about 4.5 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine with Canada and Mexico. Also, the additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine manufactured in the US have begun to be exported. 

This comes after the US decided to support waive patents on much-needed COVID-19 vaccines joining the stance of over 120 countries. However, the move was quickly opposed by Germany on May 6 that could still potentially derail the proposal at the World Trade Organisation, which requires the consensus of all members to pass. Even pharmaceutical companies have expressed their disagreement with growing support for coronavirus vaccine patent waiver, proponents also view the move as essential for the wider distribution of the jabs across the globe.

What exactly US agrees to support?

Fearing correctly that COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing would be dominated by wealthy nations, India and South Africa in October 2020 proposed that the rules of WTO’s TRIPS agreement should be eased. However, WTO decisions are based on consensus and hence, all 164 nations have to agree. Marking a reversal in its previous position on the discussion, the Biden administration has announced support for waiving patents on COVID-19 vaccines, however, not on treatments or other technology used to fight the disease.

As per reports, ten meetings in seven months have been unsuccessful in producing a breakthrough with 60 proposal sponsors by emerging economies backed by renowned scholars. If WTO adopts the waiver, it would allow pharmaceutical companies to develop COVID-19 vaccines without any fear that they might be sued by another entity that already holds the patent on the product. The India-South Africa proposal of October 2020 says that the property rights such as patents, industrial designs, copyright and protection of undisclosed information delays the timely access to affordable vaccines and medicines that are essential to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

(Image Credits: AP)