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The Inquiry: Should the knowledge needed to make the Covid-19 vaccines be freely available to all?

Should the knowledge needed to make the Covid-19 vaccines be freely available to all?

16/09/2021 GMT

BBC World Service - The Inquiry, Should the knowledge needed to make the Covid-19 vaccines be freely available to all?

Who should be the gatekeepers of the knowledge behind the Covid-19 vaccines?

Who should be the gatekeepers of the knowledge behind the Covid-19 vaccines? On this week’s Inquiry, Sandra Kanthal finds out why the answer to that will depend on who you ask.

In May, the Biden administration surprised the world by saying it would not object on an intellectual property waiver for Covid-19 vaccines.   

America has been a staunch defender of patent protections, which bar new inventions being cheaply copied around the world.  So, the first reactions to the announcement were - amazement, really.  Second reactions tended to depend on which side of this debate you were on.

Who should be the gatekeepers of the knowledge which underpins the development of cutting edge pharmaceutical breakthroughs, like Covid-19 vaccines?   In this week’s Inquiry, Sandra Kanthal finds out why the answer to that question really depends on who you ask.

Producer: Sandra Kanthal 
Editor: Richard Vadon

(Logos of various companies producing the Covid-19 vaccine. Credit: Artur Widak/Getty Images)

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Should the knowledge needed to make the Covid-19 vaccines be freely available to all?

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