Sharing is Caring? Vaccine Patenting of COVID-19 Jab

Image:Image: Shutterstock- Stefano Garau

The temporary dissolving of COVID vaccine patents has been backed by Australia and the World Trade Organisation in an attempt to make the jab more accessible for lower-income countries.

Known as the TRIPS Waiver, the W-T-O is attempting to temporarily remove patent protection of COVID vaccine formulas so countries like India, South Africa, and Papa New Guinea, can access the information necessary to produce their own vaccines.

But, many international pharmaceutical companies are hesitant to lift the waiver, arguing the protection of the patent helps motivate vaccine inventors to produce the vaccine and that these countries don’t have the capacity to produce the vaccines even if they had the patented information.

However, Australia’s decision to back this effort has also been met with considerable public support.

Produced By: Ayla Liebenberg

Featured In Story: Joel Mackay, Amnesty International Representative

First aired on The Wire, Wednesday 6 October 2021