Reaction to UK Government deals on COVID-19 vaccines

- Published:
- Short URL: https://www.oxfam.org.uk/mc/joor5e/

Responding to the announcement that the UK Government has signed deals with pharmaceutical companies for 90 million doses of prospective COVID-19 vaccines, Anna Marriott, Oxfam’s Health Policy Manager, said:

“These deals risk accelerating the unnecessary and self-defeating bidding war between rich countries to secure preferential access to a successful coronavirus vaccine whilst leaving middle and low-income countries out in the cold.

“The UK government should instead be working with others to maximise vaccine supply and access for everyone by insisting on the removal of patents and other intellectual property barriers, and the transfer of technology to as many manufacturers as possible.

“This is the only way to ensure that any vaccine is produced in the unprecedented quantities needed to bring an end to this pandemic for people in the UK and around the world as quickly as possible.”

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