To fight the pandemic, suspend the intellectual property of vaccines
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, during his visit to the pharmaceutical company Aspen, March 29, 2021 © Lulama Zenzile / Die Burger / Gallo Images via Getty Images
By: Jean-Pierre Boris Follow
15 mins
The Indian and Brazilian variants of Covid-19 are worrying the whole planet by their contagiousness.
It will not be enough for rich countries to vaccinate their populations to be protected.
To vaccinate the population of the planet, we must increase production.
To allow this, many voices are raised to give free access to the patents of the few vaccines developed.
Publicity
Two weeks ago, we devoted our meeting to the issue of vaccines, public or private goods.
After the show, the guests who were all on the phone continued to talk.
But what happened that day proved it over and over again, the question was far from being exhausted.
Hence this second program where we will more specifically question the patenting of vaccines, the intellectual property of these vaccines and the impact that the pandemic has had on the financing of health systems.
But, each and every one of the previous guests having a very busy agenda, most of them could not answer present.
From the show two weeks ago, only one survivor, Pierre-Yves Geoffard.
- Pierre-Yves Geoffard
is a professor at the Paris School of Economics, director of research at CNRS and director of studies at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences sociales.
He works on health economics, health systems and social protection
- Carine Milcent
teaches at the Paris School of Economics and is a member of the CNRS.
She is vice-president of
the Technical Agency for Information on Hospitalization, ATIH
- Fabienne Orsi
is an economist and researcher at IRD, the Research Institute for Development.
She is working there on the issue of access to medicines in both North and South countries.
She co-edited the dictionary of commons, the second expanded edition of which appeared last January (2021) by Presses Universitaires de France.
"
Access to vaccines, we must go beyond the release of patents
" (Economic Alternatives)
- Matthieu Dhenne
is a lawyer specializing in intellectual property issues.
He is also an affiliate researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition in Munich.
And he runs the Stanislas de Boufflers Institute, which is a think tank dedicated to innovation.
Reports:
► In South Africa, two pharmaceutical companies are used to produce vaccines. There is Biovac, a semi-state company located in Cape Town, which is working on the development of an anti-Covid vaccine with the Californian company ImmunityBio. There is also Aspen, a South African multinational headquartered in Port Elizabeth. Aspen has partnered with J&J to produce its vaccines. The two companies had previously worked together for the production of antiretrovirals. And today Aspen is therefore one of the 9 companies in the world chosen to produce the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. It is the only one in the southern hemisphere. Our correspondent in Johannesburg, Romain Chanson, spoke with one of the leaders of Aspen.
Eco from here Interview Stavros Nicolaou Aspen / AFSud OK
► Soberana is the name of the only vaccine in the American subcontinent, the Cuban vaccine.
The hope of a whole country too, which is going through one of its worst economic crises since the 90s. The communist island has developed its own vaccine, several vaccines even are currently in clinical trials!
A scientific feat for this country of 11 million inhabitants and an investment that could bring big returns to the country in terms of health, of course, but also of image and economic benefits.
This is an
Éco from here Éco report by
Domitille Piron, in Havana.
Eco from here Cuba Vaccines Report
► Israel completes its first vaccination campaign against COVID-19.
A very effective campaign launched in December 2020. On site, experts say the country has reached a form of collective immunity.
All businesses have reopened, the wearing of a mask is no longer compulsory in the open air and the economy is restarting.
Last year, before most everyone else, the country had managed to procure 14 million doses of the vaccine, purchased from Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna.
Israel has just signed once again with these laboratories for 16 million additional doses.
But all this of course comes at a cost.
This is a story
É
Co by Eco Moreover
, special envoy permanent RFI Jerusalem Sami Boukhelifa.
Eco from here Report Jerusalem - vaccine cost OK
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