Labour peer proposes vaccine patent waivers during pandemic in health bill

Under the amendment the UK would immediately waive intellectual property rights relating to vaccines and medicines where necessary to combat a pandemic.

Photograph: John Cairns/University of Oxford/PA

UK-registered patents and intellectual property rights on vaccines and medicines would immediately be waived in a pandemic under a proposed amendment to the health and social care bill that is backed by the People’s Vaccine Alliance.

The amendment, tabled in the House of Lords by the Labour peer, Shami Chakrabarti, is expected to be debated this week. It would seek to avoid a future shortfall of vaccines in poorer countries as has occurred during the coronavirus pandemic.