[Craic] Fwd: You may wish to consider signing this petition

[Allan Baker]

Hi Guys;

Here’s  a petition request from a friend who lives in P.E.I.

Why would Canada, the U.S.A., and the U.K. object to making COVID vaccines more readily available, at a lower price?
Allan

> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> From: "Mary Cowper-Smith" <mcowper-smith at rogers.com>
> Subject: You may wish to consider signing this petition
> Date: March 1, 2021 at 8:26:19 PM EST
> To: "'Mary Cowper-Smith'" <mcowper-smith at rogers.com>
> 
> Dear Family and Friends,
> You may have heard in the news over the past couple of months that India and
> South Africa have brought a motion forward at the World Trade Organization
> (WTO) to temporarily waive certain parts of the Trade-Related Aspects of
> Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement around COVID-19 medical
> technologies.  If the member countries of the WTO approve this temporary
> waiver, it would help ensure production of sufficient quantities of
> affordable COVID-19 diagnostics, treatments and vaccines, which would
> increase the global supply of these goods, benefiting the global pandemic
> effort.
> 
> Without the waiver, low- and middle-income countries don't have the ability
> to manufacture vaccines, and will have to rely on pharmaceutical companies
> and wealthy countries for charity, or go without access to lifesaving
> medicines and technology.
> 
> Pharmaceutical companies have received unprecedented taxpayer funding to
> help develop COVID-19 vaccines, and will still be well-paid for their
> vaccines, even if this waiver passes.
> 
> The vast majority of countries in the world are supporting the motion, but
> unfortunately, a few wealthy countries including Canada, the US, the UK are
> not.
> 
> The petition, below, urges Canada to do the right thing and support the
> motion so that every country will have timely and affordable access to
> vaccines.  The WTO will be dealing with this issue at a meeting on March 10.
> 
> Please consider signing this petition if you have not already done so.
> 
> Many thanks!
> 
> Mary
> https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-3181
> 
> 

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