Hi John,
Last month, we told you about a South African vaccine producer that is working with the World Health Organization to reverse engineer the Moderna vaccine. They want to expand production of the vaccine in South Africa and teach others around the world how to do it too.
But US pharma company Moderna is refusing to share its vaccine recipe and know-how with the WHO’s hub, despite benefiting from over $10 billion in public funding.
Thousands of us wrote to Moderna to protest against their decision not to share their vaccine. But instead of listening to the public, they’ve blocked our emails!
So we have turned our call into a petition instead and we will make sure we take your messages directly to Moderna. Please sign and share widely now!
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The story of Moderna’s vaccine is one of a missed opportunity to put public health first in this pandemic. The vaccine was a joint project between the company and scientists at the US government National Institutes of Health – and the bill for its development and production was covered by the public. It should always have been a people’s vaccine, shared with every available manufacturer to bring an end to this global pandemic as rapidly as possible.
But like so much vital medical knowledge today, Moderna’s vaccine was privatised and monopolised. And the company has made a fortune off this research – $7.3 billion so far this year, with billions more expected in 2022.
When it comes to the public dollar, Moderna are happy to play ball. But when it’s time to listen to the people, they try to shut us out!
Over the last twelve months, Moderna has sold its vaccine almost exclusively to rich countries. Like other pharmaceutical corporations, it has opposed the patent waiver that the global south has proposed at the WTO to unlock global vaccine production. And it has even inserted clauses into vaccine contracts preventing government from donating surplus vaccines to international organisations, without prior permission from Moderna themselves.
Make no mistake – Moderna is systematically choosing profit over people’s lives. In the latest development, it is trying to push US government scientists off the patent filed for the vaccine, so they won’t have to fulfil any obligations but to their shareholders.
This company thinks it can take public money, use it to make vast profits out of vaccine inequality, and then put its hands over its ears to shut out the global outcry. We can’t let them get away with this.
Sign our petition today and demand that Moderna shares its vaccine recipe with the World Health Organisation now.
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Thank you,
Alena Ivanova
Pharma campaigner at Global Justice Now
Notes
1. Africa tries to end vaccine inequity by replicating its own, Associated Press, 24 October 2021.
2. Moderna announces $7.3 billion in profit, Global Justice Now, 4 November 2021.
3. Germany may miss COVID-19 vaccine donation goal, blames manufacturers, Reuters, 20 October 2021.
4. Moderna and U.S. at Odds Over Vaccine Patent Rights, New York Times, 9 November 2021.
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Help ensure Covid-19 vaccines are available to everyone, everywhere
It’s vitally important that Covid-19 vaccine patents are suspended during the pandemic, and for big pharma to share their know-how globally, as the best way of ensuring there are enough vaccines for everyone everywhere.
Regular gifts give us the long-term stability to plan effective campaigns and the flexibility to respond to crises like these.
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