'Vaccine' shortage...

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

I read that article and was concerned until I started reading between the lines. This isn’t Covid vaccine hoarding or nationalism (which is the claim against the US and EU as well as the U.K.). It’s much broader and really, it’s about making medicine available to poorer nations.

It is the Covid vaccine that has brought the issue to everyone's attention.
It is the wider issue of patents and technologies that the industry are using to push back.

There is no reason why patents and technologies could be released for Covid vaccine, and retained for other vaccines and medicines.

But the wider moral issue, is why should rich countries be allowed to continue profiting from their investments long after their investment has been recouped.
Take the Covis vaccine as an example.
The prices are controlled during the pandemic. Rich countries have invested, and are buying all the vaccines at the reduced cost. US and UK are giving money to Covax, not vaccines. But poor countries cannot buy any vaccines, because they've all been bought by rich countries.
When poor countries will be able to buy vaccines, the price will have risen. They will have to buy their vaccines from the rich countries.
Those rich countries that control the supply and the price of the vaccine get their money back with profit.

 

[ellal]

I read that article and was concerned until I started reading between the lines. This isn’t Covid vaccine hoarding or nationalism (which is the claim against the US and EU as well as the U.K.). It’s much broader and really, it’s about making medicine available to poorer nations.

Well you read wrong lines...

It's about denying the poorer countries the right to produce their own 'vaccines' and 'allowing' them to pick up the expensive crumbs from the rich table!

many in the U.K. would prefer their hard earned taxes are spent making provision for U.K. healthcare first. It’s hard to argue against that.

I'm sure many would, but they are rather dumb...

If this 'virus' is as big a deadly global threat as we are being led to believe, then it goes without saying that as many people worldwide should be jabbed...

So who gets to gain by keeping the virus going longer than it should be?
(hint: there's always another 'market place' for big pharma)

Because the vast majority of the world will lose because of the 'new normal' being put in place, including the populations of the rich countries...

But those paying the highest price will be the poorest countries, and put them further in debt!

 

[Mottie]

If this 'virus' is as big a deadly global threat as we are being led to believe, then it goes without saying that as many people worldwide should be jabbed...

Except for you apparently. Yes, that’s right, let’s jab all the people in poor countries while you watch like a coward behind the curtains.

 

[ellal]

Except for you apparently. Yes, that’s right, let’s jab all the people in poor countries while you watch like a coward behind the curtains.

The cowards are the ones who lost the ability to think for themselves...

Although with you I have a feeling it may have started at birth!

 

[Mottie]

The cowards are the ones who lost the ability to think for themselves...

Thank God we have you to think for us.

 

[Lower]

So you'll agree with this then?

"Rich states 'block' vaccine plans for developing nations"

"Wealthy countries - including the UK - are blocking proposals to help developing nations increase their vaccine manufacturing capabilities, documents leaked to BBC Newsnight show.
Several poorer countries have asked the World Health Organization to help them.
But richer nations are pushing back on provisions in international law that would enable them to achieve this."

Now why should that be happening?

Oh that's right...

"To make a vaccine you not only need to have the right to produce the actual substance they are composed of (which is protected by patents), you also need to have the knowledge about how to make them because the technology can be complex."

"The drug industry argues that eroding patents would hinder its ability to invest in future treatments for Covid and other illnesses."

There's big money to be made by big pharma from the 'virus'...

And all the 'viruses' to come!

I’m not sure what your point is, other than your obvious dislike of ‘big pharma’.

For me, we need to look after on own country first. When that’s done we can turn our attention to helping others. A poor country can’t help another poor country as much as a rich country can, and we need to make sure we get our economy going again or we won’t be able to help anyone.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

I’m not sure what your point is, other than your obvious dislike of ‘big pharma’.

For me, we need to look after on own country first. When that’s done we can turn our attention to helping others. A poor country can’t help another poor country as much as a rich country can, and we need to make sure we get our economy going again or we won’t be able to help anyone.

The process of not sharing the patent and technology is about maintaining and increasing the wealth of the rich countries, and denying the poor countries the opportunity of helping themselves out of the pandemic, i.e. perpetuating their reliance on rich countries.

 

[Notch7]

many in the U.K. would prefer their hard earned taxes are spent making provision for U.K. healthcare first

sadly our hard earned money is being spent on bogus contracts for Tory mates

many Tory MPs have business interests in private healthcare -its money machine for them.....people like Owen Paterson that have some bogus job that pays some stupid figure for doing bugger all.

 

[Notch7]

I wonder where the worlds largest vaccine manufacturing plant is......



(India)

 

[Mottie]

I wonder where the worlds largest vaccine manufacturing plant is......



(India)

Poor sods. You gotta feel sorry for them. It’s a wonder they can still fund and maintain their nuclear arsenal and space programme.

 

[JohnD]

Poor sods. You gotta feel sorry for them. It’s a wonder they can still fund and maintain their nuclear arsenal and space programme.

I know a country so hard up it can only afford a 1% pay rise for nurses and other public workers.

 

[JohnD]

I'm chipping in my bit, but Dildo Harding has just spaffed £37billion up the wall.

I'm going to suggest to Johnson that we pay semi-retired motor mechanics in applause, instead of taxpayer cash. Surely that will work?

 

[SirGalahad]

Did he ever say we should take it on the chin and ignore it? When?

My original point was that my perception was Ellal taking pleasure in something negative happening to the UK. Your response was that Boris did the same, which i don't think he has ever done.

I don't see the strawman, i see you trying to turn twist the discussion into something its not.

So feelings over facts then.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56361599

The prime minister was even heard to say: "The best thing would be to ignore it." And he repeatedly warned, several sources tell me, that an overreaction could do more harm than good.

 

[Mottie]

I know a country so hard up it can only afford a 1% pay rise for nurses and other public workers.

Difference is, that country is filling the arms of its population with vaccines.

 

[Tigercubrider]

But if the wealthy countries helped third world countries build local infrastructure, using aid as the means, it would reduce the dependence on buying more expensive drugs on the open market.

The old "give a man a fish" v "teach a man to fish"

Imho foreign aid should not be dependant on conditions that say, mean the recipient is forced to buy goods from the donor. It should aimed at improving local facilities to allow modernisation of local conditions.
Too much foreign aid is aimed towards ensuring (British) exports.