1/ This is a massive story & good to finally see Aust media coverage.

Patent waiver would not be a silver bulletin but imv is important normative step to doing what’s needed, ie increase global vax manufacture (ping ⁦ @alexandraphelan⁩) https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-accused-of-delaying-campaign-to-allow-generic-covid-vaccines-20210428-p57n09.html

2/ there is just so much that can be said about this. Certainly, tech transfer needed alongside patent waiver.

Safety argument is somewhat colonial - eg India has been making vaccines for decades. And if it’s all about safety, why do patents expire?

3/ threat to take bat and ball and go home & not make vaccines again is psychopathic, but we know that about corporations (not being rude, it’s true of any entity set up essentially for profit not “good”)).

But note vast amounts of public $$ that funded these vaccines anyway

4/ huge problems with patent system in Pharma
go way beyond Covid-19.

Eg they don’t incentivise vaccines or diseases in poor countries like malaria, compared to treatments for ongoing western “lifestyle” diseases

They discourage sharing, which could lead to quicker outcomes

5/ I’ll stop there. There is just too much to say. I’ll return quickly tho with new thread on one argument in that article re China and Russia.

Ping @GregDore2 ee this whole thread.