Our thoughts and prayers are with all our colleagues and friends in India, Bangladesh and Nepal right now. This catastrophe means vaccine production MUST expand beyond the few companies who hold patents. Otherwise many MILLIONS of people across the world will die.

Covax is not enough. It is at the mercy of governments and big Pharma.They are undermining it. And World Bank loans to countries to acquire vaccines at inflated prices are stopping Covax procurement from the same companies!

World leaders have had a year to act, but done nothing on a patent waiver. Vaccines, oxygen, ventilators are a public good. They should not be provided through the highest bidders and black markets.

Where is big business? Why are philanthropists saying nothing? Polio vaccine was given to the world in 1959. Why not Covid vaccine? If 25% of India becomes infected, and the mortality rate is 2%, we shall see almost six million dead. To defend free markets??

Jonas Salk in 1955 was asked who owned the polio patent. “Well, the people, I would say,” said Salk, given that charity had funded the vaccine’s research and field testing. “There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?”