Northwestern Memorial Hospital sent me notification that I could make an appointment for a vaccine due to my age and underlying health issues.
At 8:30 the line was long made up of folks over 65.
This one vax center is doing 1600 vaccine doses a day.
It’s not nearly enough.
A letter I received from Partners in Health explains a solution, supported by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the new U.S. representative to the World Health Organization’s COVID response group.
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Right now, corporate monopolies mean only a few companies are allowed to make the approved COVID-19 vaccines that were funded and developed by United States taxpayers. Those monopolies have led to deadly shortages.
But, did you know the president can change that with a stroke of his pen? The U.S. already has laws allowing the government to share patented technology with manufacturers in the U.S., and governments around the world. Dr. Anthony Fauci recently advocated for activating those laws.
The U.S. has done this kind of technology sharing and monopoly breaking before. In 2002, President George W. Bush shared HIV/AIDS drug technology with the world, and in 2014, the U.S. government used its power to break patents on new kinds of bullets.
If the government can muster the strength to break monopolies on tools of war, it can certainly do the same for lifesaving vaccines during a pandemic.
Fred, sign this petition demanding President Biden unlock COVID-19 manufacturing immediately, and please, share this with your networks.
In solidarity,
Partners In Health
P.S. Did you know that by the time 39 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered in high-income countries (Jan 18, 2021), only 25 total doses had been administered in a single lowest-income country? That’s not 25 million or 25 thousand. Just 25. We must unlock more manufacturing now.
My husband has had Stage 4 inoperable pancreatic cancer for over 5 years … over 100 chemo infusions … but his oncologist here in central IL says, “check with your county health department, we don’t administer the vaccine at the cancer center”. That’s just bad organization.