Plaid Cymru calls for “right choice” on vaccine sharing

PLAID Cymru has added to calls from a coalition of Welsh charities, led by Oxfam Wales, for the First Minister to urge the Prime Minister to share covid vaccine know-how and technology with low-income countries.

The UK is currently amongst those blocking moves to stop patents on covid vaccines.

Plaid Cymru spokesperson for International Affairs, Heledd Fychan MS says it would be “completely senseless” to block access to a vaccine that “has the ability to end the pandemic”.

Ms Fychan has tabled a statement of interest to the Senedd calling on the Prime Minister to waive intellectual property rules, sharing vaccine know-how and technology with the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Technology Access Pool, and is calling on the Welsh Government to support the statement.

Ms Fychan said that the Welsh Government “has a responsibility to put pressure on the Westminster Government”, and referred to its commitment to the Well-being of Future Generations Act, which requires Wales to be a globally responsible nation.

Plaid Cymru Spokesperson on International Affairs, Heledd Fychan MS said,

“The Welsh Government has a responsibility to put pressure on the Westminster Government to waive intellectual property rules and share vaccine information and technology with developing countries.

“It is completely senseless to hold back this information and block access to a vaccine which has the ability to end the global pandemic we have been battling for over a year now.

“Wales has committed to the Well-being of Future Generations Act which requires us to be a globally responsible nation – this needs to be more than just empty words and has to be translated into action immediately; the Welsh Government must urge the Prime Minister to make the right choice.”