En rettferdig vaksine

Dear BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer, 

The rapid development of effective Covid-19 vaccines in 2020 was a emarkable achievement and gave hope to the world in the darkest days of this deadly pandemic. 

But fast forward to 2021, and the world is confronted with scandalous levels of vaccine inequality. While rich countries with high vaccination rates have slashed their death rates, tens of thousands of people in poorer countries continue to die every week.  

The World Health Organization has set a target of vaccinating 40% of people low and lower-middle income countries by the end of 2021, but we are far off track. To achieve this goal, and save millions of lives, at least two billion vaccine doses must be delivered to these countries before the end of the year. This will require a dramatic shift in practice from both states and companies alike. 

While states must redistribute the hundreds of millions of surplus doses they currently hoard, meeting WHO’s target requires urgent action from companies too. As such, we call on you to: 

• Ensure that 50% of all vaccine deliveries go to low and lower-middle income countries throughout the rest of 2021 and beyond, including by bringing forward your commitments to COVAX and the African Union. 

• Share intellectual property, knowledge and technology with WHO initiatives such as C-TAP and the mRNA vaccine technology transfer hubs, and directly with qualified manufacturers, to ensure vaccines are available to all countries in the months and years to come. 

This is not an act of charity. All companies have human rights responsibilities, and pharmaceutical companies must ensure fair access to life-saving products. You have the power to help end this pandemic, and the time to do so is now.  

Sincerely,