MP’s covid jab plea

East Renfrewshire MP Kirsten Oswald has urged the UK Government to follow America’s lead in expanding production of the covid vaccine to more countries.

The SNP politician welcomed news that the US President has backed calls for drug companies to help expand production of Covid-19 vaccines by waiving patent and other intellectual property protections.

None of the pharmaceutical companies with a successful vaccine has yet joined the World Health Organisation’s Covid-19 Technology Access Pool (C-TAP), which was established to allow sharing of blueprints for vaccines and treatments.

Ms Oswald said:“This is perhaps the most significant sign yet of a shift in thinking by the US administration since Biden took office and will be welcomed worldwide.

“Boris Johnson likes to talk of the UK’s positive global leadership, but on this issue, he is now running to play catch up .

“The UK Government’s failure to back the People’s Vaccine campaign is made even worse by the fact so many of the countries affected are members of the Commonwealth.”