Aontú Calls on the Government to Support TRIPS Waiver for Covid-19 Vaccine
Aontú Leader & Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has called on the Irish government to end our outlier status in restricting the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine worldwide, and to declare Ireland’s support for the TRIPS Waiver for the Covid-19 vaccine.
An Teachta Tóibín: “Dublin and Brussels are in lockstep in obstructing the approval of the TRIPS Waiver, which would greatly boost the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine to some of the poorest parts of the world. Why should developing countries be denied the capacity to manufacture their own vaccines to combat the spread of a global pandemic? Its not good enough to say there will be donations of vaccines – what happens when there is a shortage of vaccinations in certain countries? Donations will dry up, and poor countries will be left unable to help themselves. Pharmaceutical companies were given blanket indemnity by the EU and the Irish government at the beginning of the pandemic and have enjoyed record profits from the Covid-19 vaccination. It is inexplicable why the Irish government decides, in spite of this, to continue to prioritise the interests of Pharmaceuticals over the interests of humanity.”
“This is a pandemic which has shown some of the best of humanity, from our courageous healthcare heroes, to the daily acts of kindness and care from neighbour to neighbour. The decision to deny the capacity to manufacture and distribute vaccinations in their own countries to so many developing countries, is out of step with the ethos and compassion of the Irish people. Over 100 nations support the TRIPS Waiver, whilst Ireland obstructs. This pandemic will only end when we are all through this together. Predicating a country’s ability to vaccinate, upon the financial interests of Big Pharma and generosity with surplus vaccines is not feasible and unfairly discriminates against developing countries.”
