The Debate

Returning to Multilateralism to Ensure Equitable COVID-19 Vaccine Access

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The Debate | Opinion

Returning to Multilateralism to Ensure Equitable COVID-19 Vaccine Access

Both China and the United States can and should do more to ensure equitable access to vaccines around the world.

Returning to Multilateralism to Ensure Equitable COVID-19 Vaccine Access
Credit: Depositphotos

In a shift of position by the Biden administration, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced on May 6 that Washington would give its support to temporarily waive intellectual property (IP) protections afforded to the COVID-19 vaccines. The proposal was tabled by India and South Africa in the World Trade Organization (WTO) to allow more vaccine producers to manufacture the vaccines for low-income countries. A day later, the World Health Organization (WHO) also approved the emergency use of China’s Sinopharm vaccine, a move that was touted by certain health experts as a “game-changer” as it allows for more vaccine doses to be supplied to the developing world.

That both developments took place in rapid succession speaks to the dire situation that the Global South is mired in. As with many other global public goods, the COVID-19 vaccines have also become an essential good, but the developing world has difficulty securing doses for their pandemic responses. In essence, the world is now witnessing inequitable access to vaccines between developed countries hoarding most of these goods and the poorest countries, which lack them.

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Authors
Guest Author

Chee Leong Lee

Chee Leong Lee is currently the Collaborative Research Fellow with Anbound Malaysia, an independent think tank based in Kuala Lumpur. Previously the Taiwan Fellow and Visiting Scholar for China, his research includes China’s subnational diplomacy in the ASEAN region, Taiwan's soft power in Southeast Asia, and ASEAN’s international affairs in general. He holds a Ph.D. from Monash University.

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