"It is outrageous to see countries blocking the #TRIPSwaiver that is desperately needed as an important tool to remove legal barriers and allow production to be scaled up by multiple manufacturers for critical COVID-19 drugs, diagnostics and vaccines."
Just think about that: 10 months...

And in that 10 months, the EU (led by Germany in this) has constantly argued that setting up new vaccine production with the waiver would take too much time...

They waste time, people die, they waste more time, more people die...
BTW, Suhaib Siddiqi, former director of chemistry at Moderna, said that with blueprint & technical advice, a modern factory should be able to get vaccine production going in at most 3 to 4 months.

The EU, UK & others have been blocking it for 10 months.
apnews.com/article/drug-c… Image

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More from @astroehlein

30 Jul
Fighting in #Ethiopia’s northern #Tigray region is entering its 9th month, and it may intensify after leaders in several of Ethiopia’s regions as well as its capital, Addis Ababa, called on residents, including youth, to mobilize against Tigray fighters... Image
The conflict has forced more than 2 million people to flee their homes and left millions dependent on food aid.

Deepening the crisis, Ethiopia’s government has repeatedly cut basic services to the region, including electricity & communications.
This, together with the killing, pillaging, and rape, committed by all parties, has created a humanitarian crisis.

The UN has said food is running out.
Read 4 tweets
29 Jul
Thank you, European Commission!

Thank you, Angela Merkel!

Thank you, Boris Johnson!

Blocking wider vaccine production globally helps monopolies profit!

Mission accomplished!
ft.com/content/ee45a6… Image
"On a call with analysts, executives reiterated they expected a booster dose to be required eight to twelve months after vaccination, though with Delta that may have to happen 'a bit earlier'."

Increased demand + limited supply = higher prices. More profit! Hooray!
Higher profits for pharma monopolies!

Everybody wins!

The world celebrates! ImageImageImageImage
Read 7 tweets
28 Jul
Donating 9 million doses while blocking wider vaccine production globally is indeed shameful, UK.

Scandalous even.
theguardian.com/politics/2021/… Image
9 million doses... When the world needs at least 11 billion - and when the UK is blocking wider vaccine production globally...

To give you an idea of scale... Image
"...this shoddy piece of PR went out on the very day the UK is blocking real solutions at the World Trade Organization that would allow many of these countries to produce their own vaccines in far greater quantities than donations will ever achieve." - @nickdearden75 nails it.
Read 5 tweets
28 Jul
Vaccinations should only be administered on the basis of free & informed consent and should not be mandatory.

Requiring proof of vaccination to be eligible for employment or services in your own country is coercive and renders decisions to take the vaccine not always free. Image
Governments need to recognise peoples' rights & take every practical step to end the global pandemic.

Too many leaders in western governments instead try to convince people there's a shortcut, that they can solve a global pandemic with national decrees creating a 2-tier society
We need to fight the pandemic, of course, and that means protective health measures will be needed.

Measures will continue to be needed until the global pandemic ends.

It will not end by itself.

Our leaders have to take action to end it.

Sadly, many are refusing to do so.
Read 10 tweets
28 Jul
The economic impact of the pandemic has worsened the plight of families living in poverty in Lagos State, #Nigeria.

Many people are struggling to afford food & meet other basic needs.

New report from @hrw & @justempower:
hrw.org/news/2021/07/2…
Survey data shows #Nigerian federal & state government support, including cash transfers & food assistance, reached only a fraction of families going hungry. Image
The absence of a functioning social security system meant that government assistance, including cash transfers and food handouts, reached only a fraction of people going hungry. Image
Read 5 tweets
17 Jul
Two things EVERYONE should do:

1⃣ Get vaccinated if you can.

2⃣ Ask why most people cannot.
Our current global vaccine shortage is not "natural" or "inevitable".

It is the result of a POLICY DECISION by leaders in some rich countries - the EU, UK, Norway, Switzerland & others - to allow pharma monopolies to control the production levels of vaccines.
Specifically, the EU, UK & others have a policy of blocking wider vaccine production globally by obstructing the #TRIPSwaiver, a proposal at the World Trade Organization to temporarily waive some intellectual property rules on vaccines & other health products.
Read 22 tweets

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