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. Dimitri Eynikel:

We acknowledge that the overall production and supply of vaccines have significantly improved and there is quite a substantial supply available of all vaccines. However, the Oxfam figure singles out the supply of mRNA vaccines because they are most effective and are easier to adapt to variants. They are most effective when it comes to Omicron and that is what the number refers to. What we also have to bear in mind is whether we are prepared for a potential next wave. Are we prepared for new inequities when new, more potent vaccines adapted to new variants arrive? If a new wave of variants comes, we are not there. We will have the same inequity all over again if we do not address the structural issues. That is the point of discussion today.

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