Johnson & Johnson Janssen coronavirus disease vaccine vials (COVID-19).
Johnson & Johnson via Reuters
The White House is considering the possibility of suspending Covid-19 vaccine intellectual property protections.
The change would allow other countries to replicate existing vaccines. The United States has already approved three doses: one developed by the American Pfizer and the German BioNTech, another produced by the American company Moderna and the third by the American company Johnson & Johnson.
Concerns have escalated about the United States and a handful of other wealthy countries that hold the rights to a disproportionate amount of the global vaccine supply, while other nations struggle to inoculate their people.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote to the White House in support of the move. Developing countries have also urged the World Trade Organization to make intellectual property available.
Nearly 19% of American adults and about 15% of the total US population are fully vaccinated, according to data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
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