Protect the world, not big pharma

The rapid emergence of Covid vaccines has been a remarkable yet bittersweet success, pointing to both humanity’s scientific achievements and its social and economic failures. Experts created them at extraordinary speed; yet many of those most vulnerable and at risk still have little prospect of accessing doses.

An unexpected and welcome reversal by the United States could change this. It is backing a plan to suspend intellectual property (IP) protections for vaccines – to the dismay of the big pharma firms it has long protected. The head of the World Health Organisationrightly described this as a monumental moment in the fight against Covid.

The case for a waiver has been building since South Africa and India proposed it in October. Wealthier nations, with pharmaceutical interests, have opposed it. But the glaring inequity of vaccine distribution is increasingly evident. So are its consequences.

US backing may not be enough. World Trade Organisation agreements require all members to agree. While the EU is now saying it is ‘‘ready to discuss’’ the plan, the UK appears unmoved. Pharmaceutical firms fear activists would subsequently use the unprecedented move as reason to waive IP in other cases.

Opposition to the waiver has already cost half a year. The ugliness of the EU and UK’s position has been exposed by the US reversal. They now have a chance to place themselves on the right side of history.