COVID vaccine patent waivers divide EU leaders
Increased production and exports of vaccines are more urgent than rushing ahead with a US proposal to lift patent protections on coronavirus vaccines, leading European figures have said.
Though some argue that patents restrict vaccine access, Germany says production capacity is the real problem
European leaders discussed a US proposal for a waiver on intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines at an informal EU summit in Portugal on Friday.
Though Germany came out strongly against the idea, others in the European Union (EU), such as France, Italy and Poland initially signalled support.
What European leaders say about vaccine patent waivers
Unsure vaccine waiver will help, some leaders urge exports
NICOLE WINFIELD and JAMEY KEATEN, Associated Press
May 7, 2021
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1of3FILE - In this May 4, 2021, file photo, a container with boxes of the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 is delivered at the Sarajevo Airport, Bosnia. The head of the World Trade Organization said Friday, May 7, the U.S. administration’s call to remove patent protections on COVID-19 vaccines could help expand fair access to vaccines but might not be the most “critical issue,” as officials in Europe increasingly insisted that more vaccine exports are the more pressing priority.Eldar Emric/APShow MoreShow Less
SACRAMENTO, Calif. â The owner of a Northern California bar was arrested on suspicion of selling made-to-order fake COVID-19 vaccination cards to several undercover state agents for $20 each in what officials said Friday is the first such foiled operation they are aware of nationwide.
The plainclothes agents from Californiaâs Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control were told to write their names and birthdates on Post-it notes. They say bar employees cut the cards, filled out the identifying information and bogus vaccination dates, then laminated the finished product.
Vaccination cards are being used in some places as a pass for people to attend large gatherings. The European Union is considering allowing in tourists who can prove they have been vaccinated.
Health Minister Jens Spahn on Friday defended another U-turn by Germany on the AstraZeneca vaccine, saying making it available to all adults who want it would protect more people against COVID-19 more quickly. Spahn announced late on Thursday that Germany would make AstraZeneca available to all adults, subject to consulting a doctor, and allow people to get a second shot as soon as four weeks after the first. The move comes with an eye to the summer holidays and coincides with the rapid passage of legislation that would free those fully vaccinated from social distancing measures imposed to fight the pandemic.