Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 11 May 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and Covid-19 Vaccines: Discussion

Mr. Oliver O'Connor:

I do not know if there is as much of a contradiction as might appear. We have not said that the entire demand has already been met. Clearly, it has not been met in Africa and globally. Clearly, the companies producing different types of vaccines are continuing to produce at great pace and scale. We are confident demand can be met. What is clear is that the capacity to administer the production so far, at this point, is not there. That is why Africa CDC has asked for a pause. Certainly the need is there. African countries and the centres for disease control and prevention, CDC, are estimating and making their own calculations about the best way to roll it out and how they should prioritise within their own countries to meet that need. Their advice is now to prioritise older people in Africa. There is not that much of a contradiction in the numbers.

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