Vaccine Patents

Caroline Russell AM proposed, and Dr Onkar Sahota AM seconded, the following motion: 

“This Assembly notes that vaccination rates in London have now reached over 64 per cent for two doses, but global vaccination rates remain well below the World Health Organisation (WHO) initial target for 40 per cent of populations to be vaccinated by the end of 2021.

This Assembly notes that the whole world’s safety from Covid-19 depends upon vaccinating the global population, and that London has one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the UK. London is home to 60 per cent of Black residents of England and Wales and 50 per cent of the Bangladeshi population and has the highest proportion of non-UK born residents, at 37 per cent.

This Assembly notes that by the end of 2021 there were 98 countries that had not reached the 40 per cent target and in the 6 weeks leading up to Christmas, the UK, EU and US received more doses than all African countries received in the whole of 2021.

This Assembly notes that nearly 18 months ago India and South Africa proposed waiving patents on Covid-19 medicines and sharing the ingredients and techniques with all factories that could safely produce them. Over 100 such factories have been identified. 

This Assembly notes the call to waive these patents has been joined by almost all developing countries, by the US president, the Pope, former Prime Minister The Rt Hon Gordon Brown, and most recently 300 scientists. They realise not only is it the right thing to do, but our ability to keep ourselves safe, and reduce the risk of new and dangerous variants, depends on people being vaccinated everywhere. 

This Assembly agrees that as a unique global city, London has an obligation to support vaccination globally both for the safety of its own population and the communities it is closely linked with all over the world. 

This Assembly endorses the proposal to waive patents on all Covid-19 vaccines, medicines and equipment. We encourage companies, including Astra Zeneca, to share their recipes and knowhow with the WHO, allowing the scale up of vaccine production across the world.  

This Assembly calls on the Chair of the London Assembly to write to the Minister of State for Trade Policy asking the UK Government to support the vaccines waiver at the World Trade Organisation.”

Following debate and upon being put to the vote, the motion was agreed with 16 votes being cast in favour and 8 votes being cast against.