They protest outside Pfizer Mexico offices; They ask to release vaccine patents

According to AHF, at the current vaccination rate it will take up to 6 years to immunize everyone against Covid-19, which is why it is urgent to release the patents.

The organization Aids Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Mexico carried out a peaceful protest in front of the offices of the pharmaceutical company Pfizer in Mexico City, with the aim of demanding that they release the patents for the vaccine against Covid-19.

“Vaccines against Covid-19 should be a public good for humanity. Release the patents!”, was one of the phrases that the organization projected on Wednesday with a beam of light on the company building in the west of the Mexican capital.

“The development of vaccines against Covid-19 was financed from 80% to 100% with public resources,” was another message.

According to estimates reported by the organization, At the current rate of vaccination, it would take almost 6 years to immunize the world against Covid-19, but that “time can be shortened if pharmaceutical laboratories release or make patents more flexible, which would allow them to expand access to a larger population.”

He recalled that organizations and researchers have indicated that with only 806 million people immunized in 7 months, it would take about 5.8 years to vaccinate the total world population with two doses, which currently is about 7,837 million people.

According to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Only 1 in 10 people in Latin America and the Caribbean have completed their vaccination schedule.

If the pandemic continues for more years or perhaps decades, “millions more deaths, even greater damage to the economy, loss of jobs and increased poverty will result,” especially in poor countries, “which can be avoided with the release or flexibility of patents,” he said in a statement.

Faced with this scenario, AHF, the largest global HIV and AIDS organization, promotes the Vaccinate Our World campaign (VOW) “Vaccine Our World”, which has brought together thousands of organizations, the scientific community, global leaders and citizens to raise their voices together against the evident inequity in access to anti-covid vaccines.

“If the immoral disparity in vaccine distribution doesn't outrage you, the serious threat it represents to the world should,” is their slogan.

Only 19.35 million people have received the necessary doses to complete the vaccination schedule in Mexico, which has 126 million inhabitants.