Sanders: #PeoplesVaccine Rally - I support the US backing a TRIPS waiver

[Donkees]

I support the United States backing a TRIPS waiver at the WTO to ensure that life-saving COVID vaccine technology is available to all people, regardless of wealth.

Link to tweet

Médecins Sans Frontières:

GENEVA – As governments prepare to meet for another round of talks at the World Trade Organization (WTO), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) urged the small number of governments that continue to block a landmark waiver on intellectual property (IP) during the pandemic to immediately reverse their obstructive tactics and allow formal negotiations at the WTO to start.

The temporary waiver would apply to certain IP on COVID-19 medical tools and technologies until herd immunity is reached. It was originally proposed by India and South Africa in October 2020, and is now officially backed by 58 sponsoring governments, with around 100 countries supporting the proposal overall.

“Even after one year of this pandemic, and 2.5 million deaths, we still see certain governments denying that removing monopolies on COVID-19 medical tools will help increase people’s access to needed treatments, vaccines and tests going forward,” said Dr Christos Christou, MSF International President. “The waiver proposal offers all governments opportunities to take action for better collaboration in development, production and supply of COVID medical tools without being restricted by private industry’s interests and actions, and crucially would give governments all available tools to ensure global access.”

“Countries must stop obstructing and show the leadership required to deliver on the ‘global solidarity’ they have so often declared during this pandemic,” said Dr Christou. “It’s time to champion access to medical tools for everyone, wherever they live.”

https://www.msf.org/countries-obstructing-covid-19-patent-waiver-must-allow-negotiations

[Donkees]

1. GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION FOR A #PEOPLESVACCINE MARCH 11TH 2021

Our best chance of ending this pandemic is to ensure that everyone, everywhere has access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments. But pharmaceutical monopolies could leave countries in the global south waiting up to 2023 for widespread vaccination. This threatens everyone as no-one is safe until everyone is safe.

On 11 March, one year since the WHO declared a COVID-19 pandemic, people from around the world will be calling for a People’s Vaccine – freely available to everyone, everywhere

https://peoplesvaccine.org/take-action/#our_demands

[jimlup]

2. +1000 Thank you!

My co-grandparents live in Colombia and have been unable to visit our grandchild in Minnesota because of Covid. They are anxiously awaiting a vaccine. Bogata is a city of over 6 million. They have received limited doses of the Russian Sputnik-5 vaccine.

This is a global pandemic and the United States is in the position to act. #PeoplesVaccine

[Donkees]

4. Map: ''When will widespread vaccination coverage be achieved?''

https://peoplesvaccine.org/take-action/

[Uncle Joe]

3. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread Donkees.

[Donkees]

5. 'We Need a People's Vaccine, Not a Profit Vaccine'

"Ending this pandemic requires collaboration, solidarity, and empathy. It requires a very different mindset—a mindset that puts people over profits at every turn."

Link to tweet

Less than a week after the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), a leading industry lobbying organization, called on Biden to uphold U.S. opposition to the patent-waiver proposal, Sanders said Wednesday that he is sending a letter to the president demanding his support for the plan "so that we can rapidly expand supplies of vaccines" without the constraints imposed by pharma monopolies.

According to a new analysis by the International Rescue Committee, excess vaccine doses bought up by the U.S., United Kingdom, and European Union could inoculate every adult in Yemen, Ethiopia, and other nations facing horrific humanitarian crises.

"Around the world, two and a half million lives have already been lost due to this brutal disease and many countries are battling without adequate medical care and no vaccines," Gabriela Bucher, executive director of Oxfam International, said in a statement Wednesday. "By allowing a small group of pharmaceutical companies to decide who lives and who dies, rich nations are prolonging this unprecedented global health emergency and putting countless more lives on the line."

"At this crucial time," said Bucher, "developing countries need support—not opposition."

[KG]

6. time to nationalize big pharm

[zentrum]

7. Kick