Page 15 - Issue 33

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ELITE Vol.1, Issue 33, July 2021 Express freely
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the controversy on Covid vaccines property rights

waiver : who will win in the end?
Ogine ibrahim,second year

Covid-19 is no longer a new, and our lives have been Breaking intellectual property laws in an emergency like the
normalized with its restrictions and we are accustomed to the one we are now facing is necessary , because the largest
circumstances we were forced to. The question arises here number of vaccines is produced, and the spread of the
itself, is there really no end to the story of this virus? In fact, virusis reduced faster. The proposal was approved by more
some vaccines have been detected that prevent individuals than 115 countries, as well as the new director of the
from infection, such as the Pfizer-Bioantic vaccine for Covid organization, Ngozi Akongo, who is the first woman to hold
19, and the Jansen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine for Covid 19. this post.
But the whole point is how these vaccines are distributed The other part, which totally rejected the proposal, consists
fairly or are there other mechanics for the availability of of developed countries and monopolists such as the United
these vaccines and their distribution to individuals. This States, Britain, the European Union, Japan, Canada, Brazil,
question was not just in our position of interest. It has and vaccine organizations, such as “Faiers”, which
sparked a major diplomatic debate at the World Trade described the proposal as nonsense. Their stronger
Organization. The suspension of intellectual property rights arguments were that disrespect for patent laws would not
for the manufacture of Corona vaccines, and their imitation necessarily lead to increased production because there are
by other companies, if they are to provide it to the largest greater barriers such as the lack of products, factories, and
number of individuals, violates the laws of the Trips the crisis labor to produce these vaccines. These inventions
Agreement on Intellectual Property and Patent. must be protected from tradition to encourage innovations,
So, we find that the World Trade Organization has been maintain quality, and avoid many losses. With that opposing
divided into two parts. A section supporting the decision aspect, that proposal was not implemented, because the
submitted by South Africa and India to "waive some of the organization only implements resolutions that have been
provisions of the Trips Agreement on Intellectual Property unanimously approved.
and Patents for a period determined by WHO in order to In my opinion, the “WTO” failure to implement that
vaccinate the majority of the world's population, for vaccines proposal will increase the lack of social justice between rich
(COVID-19) only." By applying this, as many people will be and poor countries. But the World Trade Organization
vaccinated, in the shortest possible time. To avoid disparities should not see the cancellation of that decision as the end of
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in vaccine distribution between rich and poor countries, the solution. Rather, they must help distribute these
statistics show that in rich countries, one in four people is vaccines to the largest number of individuals in a fair
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vaccinated daily, unlike low manner by improving distribution networks, making
ﺤ ﺒﻋ-income countries, one in five
hundred. Rich countries will be able to vaccinate their entire available the products needed for the industry, and
population in mid-2022, while poor countries will not reach reducing customs duties on such vaccines. Until you find a
that until 2024. way that both sides agree.

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