Two years ago, human rights organizations accused Big Pharma of profiteering from the COVID-19 pandemic and contributing to the global health crisis. At the time, they argued against vaccine profits and marketing practices that favored the rich. Today, their case is stronger than ever, with new reports showing how pharma pressured politicians into suppressing the vaccine waiver.
Early in 2021, South Africa and India presented a proposal to the World Trade Organization that sought to temporarily waive the intellectual property (IP) rights of COVID-19 vaccines — which are protected by the TRIPS Agreement. This became known as the vaccine waiver and, if approved, would effectively allow every country to manufacture vaccines without fear of retaliation from patent holders.