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Vaccine Patent Pool
About Vaccine Patent Pool
The COVID 19 Technology Access Pool C TAP was launched by WHO in May 2020 to share vaccine technology. The initiative was inspired by the Medicines Patent Pool for HIV drugs. C TAP struggled to attract participation from major vaccine manufacturers. No major pharmaceutical company contributed vaccine technology. South Africa and India proposed a TRIPS waiver for COVID vaccines at the WTO. The waiver was opposed by the EU, UK, and Switzerland but supported by developing countries. A limited TRIPS waiver was eventually adopted in June 2022, covering only COVID vaccines and excluding treatments and diagnostics. Critics argued the waiver was too narrow and too late. The mRNA vaccine technology transfer hub in South Africa, backed by WHO, aims to build manufacturing capacity in Africa but has not received technology from mRNA vaccine patent holders.
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