In the Dáil this morning, People Before Profit spokesperson on Health, Gino Kenny TD, called on the Minister for Health and the government to push the EU to support a call from India and South Africa to relax intellectual property rights on Covid 19 vaccine production.
The W.T.O are discussing the proposal at a meeting today.
Gino Kenny TD will say: “It is one year since the Covid pandemic was declared and during that time over 2.5 million people have died, economies have been hit very hard and people have endured so much suffering.
He added “Ireland needs to assert its influence with the EU Commission. The EU should drop its opposition to the proposal from India and South Africa. We need to understand that this crisis is global and if we do not get a critical mass of people across the world vaccinated then we run the risk of allowing new variants to emerge and for this crisis to be prolonged.”
Local PBP Cllr Adrienne Wallace concluded “Locally the vaccine roll-out is mostly being stunted by supply issues because the pharma-industry wants to keep the patent in private hands to profiteer. Many of the vulnerable and elderly are still filled with anxiety as they await their vaccination. Many more are becoming extremely frustrated at the continued lock-down. Why should we allow the health and wellbeing of so many play second fiddle to private profit? If there was ever a time for global co-operation not private competition it is now.”
Ends
