Brazil has changed its position and now supports negotiations for patent release for COVID-19 vaccines

Brazil, one of the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, He changed his stance when he announced his support for negotiations to release patents for covid-19 vaccines promoted by the United States.

The Brazilian government said in a statement that received “with satisfaction the willingness” of the United States to negotiate, within the World Trade Organization (WTO), a “multilateral solution” to “increase the production and distribution of supplies and vaccines” globally.

The new post of the president’s executive Jair Bolsonaro, the head of a Brazilian far-right denier, was leaked in a joint memo from the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Economy, Health and Science and Technology.

Thursday, the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos França, said in a public Senate hearing that the government was against the suspension of patents COVID-19 vaccine, but predicted they might change their minds if it was in the country’s best interest.

In the same vein, the head of the Health portfolio, Marcelo Queiroga, said in a parliamentary commission investigating possible “omissions” by the Bolsonaro government in the fight against the health crisis.

However, the South American country Now changes his position, the same day his Minister of Foreign Affairs held a virtual meeting with the representative of US Foreign Trade, Katherine Tai.

“Brazil shares the objective expressed by “Tai” of “providing safe and effective vaccines to as many people as possible in the shortest possible time”., stressed the government.

“Brazil to discuss in more depth with the United States its new position and its practical implications to facilitate broad and urgent access to vaccines and drugs to fight covid-19, ”the statement added.

However, the government pointed out that, “In any scenario” it will be “essential” to have “the commitment, cooperation and association” of the manufacturers of vaccines with the aim of “making their production viable in Brazil and other developing countries”.

In this context, he pointed out that it will consult “all its international partners, as well as the“ private sector ”, to“ develop the multilateral agreements necessary for the rapid and safe production and distribution of vaccines ”.

Brazil accumulates around 420,000 deaths associated with covid-19, with 2,165 only on the last day, and more than 15 million infected since the start of the health crisis, around fourteen months ago, according to data from the Ministry of Health.

As in other countries of the world, the vaccination campaign is progressing at a slow pace in the Latin American giant, which suffers from lack of doses and where only 8% of the population has received the full immunization schedule.

With information from EFE

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