Beyond vaccines, UNESCO seeks share more global science

by Jeremy

UNESCO

Suspending vaccine patents is more sensitive than genomes or testing protocols because of the enormous investment and commercial concerns involved, Persic acknowledged. Discussions on the patent issue are centered at the World Trade Organization, not UNESCO, and they’re far from reaching a consensus.

European leaders say lifting patent protections won’t solve the problem of getting shots into people’s arms in poorer countries. Instead, they are pushing for more immediate action, like urging the U.S. to export vaccine doses that have already been produced. But Persic told The Associated Press that “in times of emergency or crisis, there might be a way of lifting those patents … One can protect the data in a certain way, and still share it.

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