Moderna can be a genuine game-changer —if it shares COVID-19 vaccine

In response to the announcement today from the National Institutes of Health that early data shows Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine is nearly 95 percent effective, Anna Marriott, Oxfam’s Health Policy Manager, said: 

“Moderna’s discovery could be a real game-changer in the fight against COVID-19. However, on its own, Moderna can only produce enough vaccine for less than seven percent of the global population by the end of 2021, almost all of whom will be in rich countries.

“The vaccine will remain the private property of the corporation, despite being largely publicly funded. While Moderna has pledged not to enforce intellectual property rights on its vaccine, it needs to go that critical step further by pooling and sharing its technology with the WHO’s COVID-19 Technology Access Pool, for the benefit of the rest of the world.

“In addition to the devastating loss of life, COVID-19 has put a massive strain on health systems, created a global economic crisis and pushed millions more people into poverty. We call on Moderna and all the companies working on potential vaccines to commit to a Peoples Vaccine which is available free for all people in all countries.

“We cannot put the profits of pharmaceutical companies ahead of ending the pandemic and recovering the global economy. Millions of lives and livelihoods are at stake.”