X

US backs waiving intellectual property protections for COVID vaccine recipes

The move could help speed up the production of shots globally.

Corinne Reichert Senior Editor
Corinne Reichert (she/her) grew up in Sydney, Australia and moved to California in 2019. She holds degrees in law and communications, and currently writes news, analysis and features for CNET across the topics of electric vehicles, broadband networks, mobile devices, big tech, artificial intelligence, home technology and entertainment. In her spare time, she watches soccer games and F1 races, and goes to Disneyland as often as possible.
Expertise News, mobile, broadband, 5G, home tech, streaming services, entertainment, AI, policy, business, politics Credentials
  • I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
Corinne Reichert
017-vaccine-race-2021-johnson-johnson-rollout-single-injection-emergency-approval
Sarah Tew/CNET

The US Trade Representative supports waiving intellectual property protections on COVID-19 vaccines, it announced Wednesday. Making the vaccine recipes available could help speed up the production of shots and could end the coronavirus pandemic sooner.

During talks with the World Trade Organization about global trade, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the administration of President Joe Biden "believes strongly in intellectual property protections, but in service of ending this pandemic, supports the waiver of those protections for COVID-19 vaccines."

Read more: Biden wants 70% of American adults vaccinated by July Fourth

"We will actively participate in text-based negotiations at the World Trade Organization needed to make that happen," Tai said, adding that it'll take some time for the WTO nations to reach consensus. "The administration's aim is to get as many safe and effective vaccines to as many people as fast as possible."

The Biden administration will also "work to increase the raw materials needed to produce" the vaccines, Tai said.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.