Status: 02/16/2022 07:52 a.m
Several aid organizations are again calling on the EU states to release the Covid vaccine patents. The delivery of vaccine doses to Africa had failed. More would be destroyed than donated.
According to aid organizations, the EU countries dispose of significantly more unused corona vaccine doses than are donated to African countries.
According to the activists of the People’s Vaccine Alliance, 30 million vaccine doses sent by the Europeans to Africa faced around 55 million doses, which must therefore be disposed of by the end of February.
In particular, Allianz called for the patents for the manufacture of the vaccines to be released. “Although the EU is now the world’s largest exporter of vaccines and always emphasizes its partnership with Africa, the pricing of the vaccines is left solely to the pharmaceutical companies, which are exclusively geared towards maximizing profits,” said the alliance, which includes Oxfam and the UN -Belong to the UNAIDS program.
Hoarding to expiration date?
The governments of the EU member states hoarded the vaccine doses until the expiry date, so the accusation. At the same time, there is a significant vaccine shortage in Africa. According to Oxfam, only 11 percent of the population there have received two vaccinations, a total of 151 million people. “The acute vaccine shortage is prolonging the pandemic indefinitely and increasing the risk of new virus variants,” the activists warn.
In view of these figures, the People’s Vaccine Alliance declared the international vaccination initiative Covax a failure. Instead of the distribution of vaccines, local production must be used, and the patents for the manufacture of vaccines must be revoked. A corresponding application to the World Trade Organization WTO has been available for a year and a half.
“Federal government must give up the blockade”
Almost all emerging and developing countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the USA support the proposal. Resistance to the so-called patent waiver comes from Germany and the EU, among others.
“The new federal government must give up its blockade of the waiver and stop putting the profit interests of the pharmaceutical companies above the lives of people in Africa,” explained Pia Schwertner from Oxfam. “The development of the vaccines was funded with public funds and the know-how should be shared with the world so that all qualified manufacturers can start producing these vital vaccines.”