FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 5, 2021
Contact: Emily Phelps | press@indivisible.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai issued a statement announcing the Biden administration’s decision to support waiving intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines at the World Trade Organization. This announcement comes after months of actions taken by global healthcare advocates urging President Biden to support the TRIPS Waiver, as an essential step towards ensuring equitable global vaccine distribution.
Mary Small, National Advocacy Director at Indivisible, issued the following statement in response:
“This is a huge victory for global healthcare advocates, who for months have dedicated their efforts to fighting the powerful pharmaceutical lobby and forced the discourse on global health access to the COVID-19 vaccines.
“This pandemic has not only laid bare the deep inequities of our for-profit healthcare system, leaving marginalized communities to face the deadly consequences, but it has proven that our health and safety are tied globally. Indivisible firmly believes that healthcare is a right and until every person is guaranteed that right, our work is not over.
“We look forward to working with the Biden Administration to ensure the passage of the TRIPS Waiver and that the terms are as equitable and effective as possible.
“We also want to thank Senators Sanders and Warren, and Representatives Jan Schakowsky, Rosa DeLauro, Lloyd Doggett, Earl Blumenauer, Jesús ‘Chuy’ García, and Adriano Espaillat for listening to the concerns of their constituents and for keeping the pressure on the Biden Administration to take bold, necessary positions which put people over profits.”
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