Inside Story

What’s behind the disagreement over COVID-19 vaccine waiver?

EU says US President Joe Biden’s proposal on waiving vaccine patents is not practical.

Almost everyone agrees one way to beat the pandemic is to increase global vaccine production. But world leaders differ on how to give more access to poor nations that lack doses.

The United States has supported suspending intellectual property rights on vaccines. That could allow developing nations to acquire the knowledge needed to produce jabs locally.

But some European leaders argue a patent waiver would not help boost supplies. They insist making and sharing vaccines more quickly is the best way to do it.

European nations say they have been generous in exporting vaccines to other countries and they have called on the US to do its part.

Is this politically motivated? And what does it mean for millions of people waiting to get their shots?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra

Guests:

Jeffrey Lazarus – head of the Health Systems Research Group at Barcelona Institute for Global Health

Rajeshwari Hariharan – intellectual property lawyer

Azeddine Ibrahimi – director of the Medical Biotechnology Laboratory at Rabat Medical and Pharmacy School