Global covid-19 vaccine inequality

That this House notes with concern that affluent countries including the UK have bought enough covid-19 vaccines to immunise the population many times over while poorer countries are hindered by industry monopolies that are driving supply shortages and blocking vaccine access; acknowledges the moral and practical necessity to challenge that situation; further notes the limited capacity of the Covax programme as it aims only to vaccinate 20 per cent of the populations of recipient countries in 2021, meaning that many nations will be waiting until at least 2024 to achieve mass covid-19 immunisation; notes that increased efforts and action are needed urgently to address that situation; adds our voice to that of over 150 former heads of state and Nobel laureates calling for a people’s vaccine to end the covid-19 global pandemic; and urges the UK Government to prevent corporate profit from being prioritised in covid-19 vaccine programmes, including by dropping its opposition to a covid-19 vaccine patent waiver thereby helping to eradicate global covid-19 vaccine inequality across the globe, giving poorer nations a chance to fight and be free of the covid-19 virus.