Demonstrators hold a rally to 'Free the Vaccine' in Washington recently, calling on the US to commit to a global coronavirus vaccination plan that includes sharing vaccine formulas with the world. AFP
Demonstrators hold a rally to 'Free the Vaccine' in Washington recently, calling on the US to commit to a global coronavirus vaccination plan that includes sharing vaccine formulas with the world. AFP
Demonstrators hold a rally to 'Free the Vaccine' in Washington recently, calling on the US to commit to a global coronavirus vaccination plan that includes sharing vaccine formulas with the world. AFP
Demonstrators hold a rally to 'Free the Vaccine' in Washington recently, calling on the US to commit to a global coronavirus vaccination plan that includes sharing vaccine formulas with the world. AFP

Why a Covid vaccines patent waiver will be yesterday's solution


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For a sense of the political potency of vaccines at this stage of the coronavirus pandemic, ask British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

As the results of last week's local council elections are tabled, the ruling Conservatives have secured a significant political victory that cements Mr Johnson's place in power for the foreseeable future. An opposition Labour politician, when asked what made the difference in the totemic victory in the north-eastern port town of Hartlepool, said all that people on the doorstep talked about was ending the pandemic.

With more than 50 million doses administered, the UK is a titan of the vaccine effort. Elated by the voting results on Friday, Mr Johnson said his challenge now is to turn “jab, jab, jab into jobs, jobs, jobs”.

However, progress made in the inoculation drive by countries such as the UK has caused ructions over equitable global access to the vaccine. Last week, US President Joe Biden surprised observers by calling for talks on a patent waiver for Covid-19 vaccines and therapies.

Having once favoured the concept, I think this would be a bad idea.

At the outset of the pandemic last year, there was an argument for the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to use its rules to signal an open market for vaccines. The move would have signalled the WTO’s relevance at a time when then US president Donald Trump’s trade policies had depleted the organisation. It would have allowed companies working on the emerging vaccines to take a far more collaborative approach. Global facilities capable of producing vaccines could have converged on a grand collaboration.

Plus I believe in the wisdom of crowds being the best support to the invisible hand of the market. But if there was a time to take that approach, it is surely gone.

As French President Emmanuel Macron has lamented, there has been a role for the courageous in the pursuit of vaccines. Contrasting the slow rollout in Europe with the Anglosphere’s breakaway, he lamented the risks that other states had taken with private business, such Washington’s moonshot project.

Yes, there is a lack of fairness in the global vaccine rollout. But the supply bottlenecks are not the product of a refusal to use capacity well.

In the first instance, the biggest problem has been the monopolising of raw materials that go into making the vaccine. On Friday, Mr Macron lashed out at the “Anglo-Saxons" for blocking "lots of ingredients”. Albert Bourla, the head of Pfizer, has also forecast an ugly scramble for raw materials that affects the security of all.

There is no doubt much work to be done in this regard; India was only promised more of these supplies when its infection rate reached calamitous levels last month. But at the level of intellectual property, there is no magic bullet in this idealistic offer.

Moderna has already said it would not enforce its patent, which is quite a noble gesture. The company, after all, had been working on its overnight success for the Covid-19 vaccine for more than a decade. Yet it has not seen anyone come forward to replicate its technologies. That may be because mRNA vaccines that it and BioNTech are producing involve next-generation technologies, and it is far from certain that random facilities in Bangladesh or South Africa could produce the doses needed.

In any case, these facilities are increasingly benefiting from licensing agreements that are needed by the more established vaccines makers. If pharma manufacturers spurn these deals to pursue their own output, there will be interruptions in supplies and not the planned increases.

Expansion of vaccines' output is steadily coming online anyway. BioNTech and its partner Pfizer are on track to increase their deliveries to three billion doses this year from 1.2 billion in 2020. AstraZeneca is similarly pursuing a three billion units target.

World Trade Organisation Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at a news conference in Geneva. The WTO says the Biden administration’s call to remove patent protections on Covid-19 vaccines will give an impetus to negotiations to resolve access inequity but such a waiver might not be the 'critical issue' against the pandemic. AP Photo
World Trade Organisation Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala at a news conference in Geneva. The WTO says the Biden administration’s call to remove patent protections on Covid-19 vaccines will give an impetus to negotiations to resolve access inequity but such a waiver might not be the 'critical issue' against the pandemic. AP Photo
A populist but almost certainly naive initiative could do more harm than good

Moreover, if there is a problem with the vaccines now, it is that some companies are charging developing countries 10 times the price of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Hence, removing or waiving patent rights at this juncture is the wrong policy at the wrong time.

Mr Macron has given Mr Biden his backing. However, even his own arguments undermine that position. “You can give the intellectual property to laboratories that do not know how to produce it," he conceded. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is unmoved. She sees intellectual property frameworks as the lynchpin of innovation. While India and South Africa have gained Mr Biden's support at the WTO, it seems a hard core of countries will talk the proposal into the long grass.

The quest for the vaccine is filled with winners and losers.

Another beleaguered international body, the WHO, supports the WTO proposal. Yet, the WHO has approved just five contender vaccines for emergency use. The established vaccine makers have faced quality control problems with ramping up their output. Issues such as fill-and-finish – bottling and distributing them to you and me – have also derailed delivery schedules.

No one doubts the WTO needs to establish its place as the beating heart of the global trade system. But a distracting exercise in pursuing a populist but almost certainly naive initiative could do more harm than good.

Damien McElroy is the London bureau chief at The National

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

Dubai World Cup factbox

Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)

Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)

Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)

Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Kill%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nikhil%20Nagesh%20Bhat%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%20Lakshya%2C%20Tanya%20Maniktala%2C%20Ashish%20Vidyarthi%2C%20Harsh%20Chhaya%2C%20Raghav%20Juyal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Year Earth Changed

Directed by:Tom Beard

Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough

Stars: 4

Poland Statement
All people fleeing from Ukraine before the armed conflict are allowed to enter Poland. Our country shelters every person whose life is in danger - regardless of their nationality.

The dominant group of refugees in Poland are citizens of Ukraine, but among the people checked by the Border Guard are also citizens of the USA, Nigeria, India, Georgia and other countries.

All persons admitted to Poland are verified by the Border Guard. In relation to those who are in doubt, e.g. do not have documents, Border Guard officers apply appropriate checking procedures.

No person who has received refuge in Poland will be sent back to a country torn by war.

Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier

UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs

Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)

1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0

Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am

MATCH INFO

Mainz 0

RB Leipzig 5 (Werner 11', 48', 75', Poulsen 23', Sabitzer 36')

Man of the Match: Timo Werner (RB Leipzig)

2024%20Dubai%20Marathon%20Results
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWomen%E2%80%99s%20race%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Tigist%20Ketema%20(ETH)%202hrs%2016min%207sec%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Ruti%20Aga%20(ETH)%202%3A18%3A09%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Dera%20Dida%20(ETH)%202%3A19%3A29%0D%3Cbr%3EMen's%20race%3A%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Addisu%20Gobena%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A01%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Lemi%20Dumicha%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A20%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20DejeneMegersa%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A42%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Why are you, you?

Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.

Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.

 Ben Okri,

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The bio

Who inspires you?

I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist

How do you relax?

Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.

What is favourite book?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times

What is your favourite Arabic film?

Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki

What is favourite English film?

Mamma Mia

Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?

If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.  

 

How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE

When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

The%20BaaS%20ecosystem
%3Cp%3EThe%20BaaS%20value%20chain%20consists%20of%20four%20key%20players%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsumers%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20End-users%20of%20the%20financial%20product%20delivered%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDistributors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Also%20known%20as%20embedders%2C%20these%20are%20the%20firms%20that%20embed%20baking%20services%20directly%20into%20their%20existing%20customer%20journeys%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEnablers%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Usually%20Big%20Tech%20or%20FinTech%20companies%20that%20help%20embed%20financial%20services%20into%20third-party%20platforms%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProviders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Financial%20institutions%20holding%20a%20banking%20licence%20and%20offering%20regulated%20products%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

A cheaper choice

Vanuatu: $130,000

Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.

Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.

Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.

Benefits:  No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.

Profile of VoucherSkout

Date of launch: November 2016

Founder: David Tobias

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers

Sector: Technology

Size: 18 employees

Stage: Embarking on a Series A round to raise $5 million in the first quarter of 2019 with a 20 per cent stake

Investors: Seed round was self-funded with “millions of dollars” 

Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
Directed by: RS Prasanna
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar

The Disaster Artist

Director: James Franco

Starring: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogan

Four stars