Hopes rise for Covid vaccine patent waiver after key countries agree on proposal

The proposal, if passed by the full council, could allow other countries to make vaccines without paying pharmaceutical companies

The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) most powerful members said on Tuesday that they had agreed on a proposed waiver on intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines in the hopes of speeding up rollouts worldwide.

The proposal from the so-called Quad (the European Union, India, South Africa and the United States) will still have to go to the full council, but China has indicated it is prepared to vote in favour. If passed, it could allow developing world countries to manufacture Covid vaccines without paying Pfizer, Moderna and other pharmaceutical companies licenses.

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