It is a known fact that if we want to stop the spread of COVID-19 worldwide, lower-income countries must be part of the solution by having the ability to vaccinate their citizens.
A disturbing report released by Amnesty International on Sept. 22 (“New report shows leading COVID-19 vaccine pharma companies fueling unprecedented human rights crisis”) describes the resistance of these companies to distributing to lower-income countries. According to the report, “Pfizer and BioNTech have so far delivered nine times more vaccines to Sweden alone, than to all low-income countries combined – less than 1 percent of their production so far. … The companies are set to earn $86 billion in revenues in 2022.”
What’s more, although “most companies (received) billions of dollars in government funding and advance orders, vaccine developers have monopolized intellectual property, blocked technology transfers and lobbied aggressively against measures that would expand global manufacturing of these vaccines.”
It stands to reason that if these companies were funded by the government, there should have been a moral quid pro quo that intellectual rights and technology transfer would be part of the deal. Once again, Big Pharma has shown its true colors to the detriment of those most in need.
Jake Hawkins
Arundel
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