US backs plans to waive intellectual property rights for vaccines
US President Joe Biden has backed plans to temporarily waive intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines in a bid to boost supply for developing countries.
The Biden administration threw its support behind the plans, which were proposed by India and South Africa which claimed the patents had been an obstacle.
The plans had previously been met with strong opposition from the previous US administration, the UK and the EU.
If approved, the temporary suspension would allow vaccine production to be ramped up and provide more affordable doses for developing countries.
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) called the move a “monumental moment” in the fight against Covid-19.
Director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has repeatedly urged countries to support the proposal and said the waiver is a “powerful example of United States leadership to address global health challenges.”
The decision came after the G7 foreign ministers pledged to expand the production of affordable vaccines but stopped short of calling for a waiver.
In a joint statement the ministers said “We commit to working with  industry  to facilitate expanded manufacturing at scale of affordable COVID-19  vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics and their component parts”.
The ministers said the work would include “promoting partnerships between companies, and  encouraging voluntary licensing and tech transfer agreements on mutually agreed terms”.