[CTC] Entering Third Year of Pandemic, Nationwide Protests Demand World Leaders End COVID Monopolies

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Please retweet here <https://twitter.com/TradeJusticeEd/status/1502309159538237440?s=20&t=nbVBksP8WmI45ewxCx7lIA>

Hashtag to Watch: #EndCOVIDMonopolies

Social Media Toolkit <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t4u5Wj9NGXv7QoOeXaktoVozxWjS7XP3OuaFnjTHpI4/edit#heading=h.31xowejv5028>
Select photos <https://peoplesvaccine.org/take-action/end-covid-monopolies/>


https://tradejusticeedfund.org/687-2/ <https://tradejusticeedfund.org/687-2/> 
Entering Third Year of Pandemic, Nationwide Protests Demand World Leaders End COVID Monopolies

Pharma’s Monopoly Grip on COVID Vaccines, Treatments Leave the World Vulnerable, Say Protesters, Former World Leaders and Nobel Laureates

For Immediate Release: Mar. 11, 2022

Contact: Mike Stankiewicz, mike at tradejusticeedfund.org <mailto:mike at tradejusticeedfund.org>, (202) 255-7472

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, March 11, two years after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, people on five continents held die-ins and rallies to urge world leaders to end Big Pharma’s monopoly grip on COVID vaccines, tests and treatments needed to save lives and prevent the next variant.

“Billions of people worldwide still don’t have access to COVID vaccines and treatments, causing thousands of avoidable deaths each day and setting the conditions for a new variant that could start COVID disruptions all over again for everyone,” said Arthur Stamoulis, executive director of the Trade Justice Education Fund, which organized the U.S.-based actions. “President Biden and other world leaders have the power today to end Big Pharma’s monopoly stranglehold over COVID vaccine and treatment production; the only thing stopping them is political will.” 

The demonstrations in more than two dozen cities specifically called on governments, especially those in the U.S. and the EU, to immediately waive intellectual property rules standing in the way of increased vaccine and treatment production; mandate the sharing of vaccine-making recipes; and help fund the creation of regional vaccine-making hubs.

Also today, more than 130 former world leaders, Nobel laureates, leading scientists, economists, humanitarians, faith leaders, business leaders, trade unionists and celebrities called <https://peoplesvaccine.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Vaccine-Open-Letter-March-2022.pdf> for urgent action to vaccinate low and middle-income countries and bring an end to the pandemic.

While many affluent countries are issuing third- and fourth-dose COVID boosters, only about 13% <https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-people-vaccinated-covid?country=High+income~Upper+middle+income~Lower+middle+income~Low+income> of people in low-income countries have received even a first vaccine dose. The global demand for booster shots and new vaccine formulas in the face of Omicron have only increased the need for additional vaccine and treatment production and have proved that donations alone are not nearly enough to meet current or future needs. 

More information and photographs from the day of action are available here <https://peoplesvaccine.org/take-action/end-covid-monopolies/> and the letter is available here <https://peoplesvaccine.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Vaccine-Open-Letter-March-2022.pdf>. 

Organizations that sponsored the events include Trade Justice Education Fund, People’s Vaccine Alliance, ActionAid, AFEM, African Alliance, American Friends Service Committee, Amnesty International, Campaign for America’s Future, Christian Aid, Frontline AIDS, IAMMS, Justice Is Global, Just Treatment, Oxfam, Public Citizen, Social Security Works, STOPAIDS, War on Want and others




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