Germany is resisting momentum to lift patent protection for Covid-19 vaccines, saying Thursday that a US decision to support such waivers “has significant implications for vaccine production.”
US President Joe Biden said Wednesday the US would support the easing of patent rules on Covid-19 vaccines, potentially expanding global supplies, as a devastating wave envelops India and calls grow louder for rich countries to narrow the gap with the developing world. The World Health Organization has called for patents on Covid-19 vaccines to be temporarily lifted until the global health crisis is under control. But a German government spokeswoman said on Thursday that the “protection of intellectual property is a source of innovation” and the Biden administration’s move would have “significant implications for vaccine production.
