US Noncommittal on Vaccine Patents Waiver 

WASHINGTON - Amid a surge of COVID-19 cases in India and other parts of the world, the United States remains noncommittal on an October 2020 proposal by India and South Africa to waive certain provisions of the World Trade Organization's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).  

The proposal would loosen patent restrictions so that countries can manufacture generic versions of the coronavirus vaccines.  "We are working with our global partners to explore pragmatic and effective steps to surge production and equitable distribution of vaccines," a United States Trade Representative (USTR) official told VOA.  The administration is still weighing arguments from waiver proponents, including members of the progressive wing of President Joe Biden's own party who say that it could be a game changer in the global fight against the pandemic, and opponents, Republican senators as well as the pharmaceutical industry, who insist that strong intellectual property protection is key to innovation. They say waiving it could backfire, creating further backlog for limited vaccine ingredients and revealing trade secrets to international rivals.