ROME (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th May, 2021) Pope Francis on Saturday supported the idea of temporarily lifting intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines so that everyone has access to the drugs.
Earlier in the week, the administration of US President Joe Biden expressed its support for the initiative to waive vaccine patents in order to speed up production worldwide. A number of countries have since backed the idea.
"A spirit of justice mobilizes us to ensure universal access to a vaccine by temporarily suspending intellectual property rights. A spirit of unity will enable us to create a different, more inclusive, fair and sustainable economic model," the pontiff said in a video message to participants in the virtual charity concert "Vax Live: The Concert To Reunite the World."
The chiefs of the European Commission and the European Council have meanwhile doubted that the move would boost vaccine production in the short- and medium term. However, the bloc expressed readiness to discuss the idea.
