EU Commission Insists USA and Producers To Export COVID-19 Vaccine

Illustration: COVID-19 Vaccine. (Wikimedia Commons/U.S. Secretary of Defense)

JAKARTA - The European Commission is asking the United States and producers of the COVID-19 vaccine to export their vaccines, as is the case with the European Union, rather than talking about the exemption of intellectual property rights over vaccines.

This was conveyed by European Commission Head Ursula von der Leyen saying at a press conference on the sidelines of a summit of EU leaders, discussions on waiving intellectual property rights would not result in a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the short to medium term.

"We must be open to leading this discussion. But when we lead this discussion, there needs to be a 360-degree view of it because now we need vaccines for the whole world,” he said, as reported by Euronews, Saturday, May 8.

"EU is the only continental or democratic region in the world that exports on a large scale," continued von der Leyen.

Von der Leyen further explained, about 50 percent of the coronavirus vaccine produced in Europe is exported to nearly 90 countries, including those in the COVAX program which is supported by the World Health Organization (WHO).

"And we invite all those involved in the disenfranchisement debate as well, join us in our commitment to be willing to export most of what is produced in the region," he said.

According to him, only higher production, removing export barriers, and sharing the vaccines already ordered can help quickly combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

"So what is needed in the short and medium-term, first of all is sharing vaccines. Second, exporting vaccines that are currently being produced. And third, investing in increasing vaccine production capacity," he said.

Von der Leyen added that the European Union has started its vaccine distribution mechanism, citing the delivery of 615,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to the Western Balkans as an example.