New variant shows that patent rules for Covid-19 vaccines endanger us all

November 26, 2021

The same governments that have blocked global vaccine access are now the first to lock down their borders to keep the new variant out.

For us in transport, particularly in aviation, these border closures are a devastating blow to our jobs and our industries. Aviation’s fragile recovery is under threat with the announcement of a new variant in southern Africa and the border closures announced by the UK and EU, with potentially more to follow.

What makes this even more galling is that these are the very governments that have put pharmaceutical profits over universal access to vaccines and treatments. Instead of taking action to end this pandemic, their actions are putting the lives of millions in jeopardy.

Transport workers globally have been calling for the TRIPS waiver for months. We will not be safe until everyone is safe. We need to remove all barriers to a global vaccine rollout now.

Tags: border closures, COVID-19, new variant, patents, recovery, TRIPS