COVID-19 Special: To waive or not to waive vaccine patent rights
As the WHO decries vaccine apartheid, many note that waiving patent protection for vaccines would speed up production. Some countries are indeed willing to let others open their own production lines. But Germany is opposed to such a step.
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Vaccine brings hope to EU regions
Peter Liese, a member of the European Parliament for the Christian Democrats and a medical doctor, has regularly appeared on German TV talk shows to counter that argument. Pfizer exercised pressure on the European Commission, Liese told journalists in August. Pfizer apparently did not initially want to accept something that is the law in Europe namely that, when a mistake is made and somebody is hurt, there has to be liability.
The negotiations dragged on and finally concluded in November. For weeks, more than 20 lawyers for the US giant sat across the table while the European Commission s negotiators kept a low profile and did not comment on the proceedings.
As the WTO has a new leader, will poorer nations now stand a better chance of securing more vaccine doses at affordable prices? At least that's the hope, says Elisabeth Massute from Doctors Without Borders.