US omits Coronavirus vaccine from TRIPS in response to an appeal by India

Washington: – The Coronavirus pandemic is a global level crisis. India had demanded that while countering this threat, the United States should omit the Coronavirus vaccine from the purview of the Intellectual Property Rights Act and make the technology public. Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made this appeal a few days ago. The United States initially refused, but now the United States has accepted the demand. The US decision is being welcomed, and confidence is being expressed that the vaccine manufacturing will get the necessary stimulus.

As per the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), other countries cannot use the Coronavirus vaccine technology. The US industry was demanding that the United States should keep the interests of the US pharmaceutical industry in view and not omit the Coronavirus vaccine from TRIPS. At the same time, US lawmakers pointed out that the Coronavirus crisis is a massive humanitarian crisis and affecting the fight against the problem, and imposing a condition like TRIPS is just not affordable. 108 US Congressmen had said that the United States must respond to the demand raised by India and South Africa.

This created pressure on the United States, and President Biden accepted the demand to make an exception for the Coronavirus vaccine from TRIPS. The US lawmakers have welcomed the decision. French President Emmanuel Macron also appreciated the US decision. President Macron said that the developing countries from Africa, unable to develop the vaccine, will benefit immensely from the decision. Meanwhile, US Senators Mark Warner, John Cornyn and Rob Portman have appealed that the United States should expressly provide the assistance required by India because of the alarming increase in the Coronavirus pandemic in the country.

The US administration has initiated steps in that direction, and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin revealed the information regarding the assistance given to India. The United States has supplied 1 million rapid diagnostic tests, 545 Oxygen concentrators, more than 1.6 million N95 masks, 457 Oxygen cylinders, 440 regulators, 22 pulse oximeters and a portable Oxygen concentration system till now.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured India that the United States would stand firm behind India during the G7 meeting, reminding of the aid India provided during the first wave of the Coronavirus pandemic. The Indian Foreign Minister has emphasised that the supplies received by India in the current times from other countries is not an aid. Foreign Minister Jaishankar clarified that these supplies are only cooperation from the Indian allies for the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.