GAVI welcomes Biden move on vaccines, urges US manufacturers to transfer know-how

US President Joe Biden

The GAVI vaccine alliance on Thursday welcomed US President Joe Biden's support for waiving intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines and also urged Washington to help manufacturers transfer know-how to boost global production. The Geneva-based group, which co-leads the COVAX dose-sharing programme with the World Health Organization (WHO), faces major supply constraints after India suspended vaccine exports due to its major Covid-19 epidemic. ‘We recognise also the significance of the (Biden) administration’s commitment to work towards increasing raw material production, which will have an immediate impact on alleviating current global supply constraints,’ it told Reuters in a statement. ‘GAVI urges now that in the interests of global equitable access, that the US supports manufacturers to transfer not only IP but also know-how in a bid to urgently boost global production.’