National

Canada 'oddly absent' from waiver debate: critics

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 06 May, 2021 06:36 PM

Ottawa has yet to follow the United States on easing patent protections for COVID-19 vaccines — and critics and allies alike are noticing.

The One Campaign, a progressive anti-poverty group that has praised Justin Trudeau in the past, calls Canada "oddly absent" from the discussion.

Vaccine access is in the news with the US announcement on vaccine patents. But how well is the world doing to get vaccines everywhere? Our #VaccineAccessTest 2.0 measures this.

Here are the latest findings. https://t.co/vyZj4U3roE
— ONE (@ONECampaign) May 6, 2021

The U.S. agreed Wednesday to so-called text-based negotiations at the World Trade Organization on a possible waiver to the rules.

The idea is to make vaccine formulas and expertise more widely available so more countries could develop their own supply.

Canada expressed support for the U.S. decision, but has so far refused to say whether it would also support the waiver and take part in the talks.

New Democrat Leader Jagmeet Singh is accusing the prime minister of prioritizing drug-company profits over global public health.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2021.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Ontario waits for guidance as B.C. delays 2nd dose

Alberto Martin, a University of Toronto immunology professor, says a published clinical trial showed the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine provided 60 per cent protection, but B.C. may have access to new or unpublished data.

Ontario waits for guidance as B.C. delays 2nd dose

Mounties who shot at other RCMP won't face charges

The Serious Incident Response team concludes the officers who fired their guns had been told the killer was driving a replica police vehicle and was wearing an orange vest, giving them grounds to believe the officer standing beside a patrol car was the murderer.

Mounties who shot at other RCMP won't face charges

Let's prepare for the next pandemic, feds urge

Grant is taking part in a Wilson Center forum today with U.S. and Mexican officials about the effort to reset the trilateral relationship.

Let's prepare for the next pandemic, feds urge

Canada must ban coal exports, group says

Canada is forcing out any coal-fired power plants that aren't equipped with carbon-capture technology by 2030 and Wilkinson told the alliance summit "there is simply no place for unabated coal" in a net-zero emissions world.

Canada must ban coal exports, group says

Giving bank info to U.S. averted catastrophe: feds

In a newly filed submission to the Federal Court of Appeal, the Canadian government says failure to comply would have had serious effects on Canada's financial sector, its customers and the broader economy.

Giving bank info to U.S. averted catastrophe: feds

NDP pledges support for small businesses

Singh unveiled the promises during a campaign-style event in British Columbia on Tuesday, less than a week after he said the New Democrats would not provoke an election as long as the COVID-19 pandemic persists.