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Bill Gates and vaccines

(8 Posts)
Atqui Sat 08-May-21 17:45:45

I didn’t know whether to post this on this thread or Coronavirus. First a quote from somewhere.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which they co-chair, has committed $1.75 billion over the past year to fighting the pandemic. The money has gone toward developing and delivering vaccines and drugs, including funds to provide vaccines to poorer nations.
Now According to a video from Russell Brand, he won’t allow other factories to produce more vaccines using his patent.
Can anyone explain this. I’m not a political person , nor a conspiracy theorist, just confused .

MaizieD Sat 08-May-21 18:17:20

I think Russell Brand is behind the times

Biden asked for a patent waiver on vaccines.

Mark Suzman, CEO at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, announced Thursday that the foundation is supportive of temporarily lifting coronavirus vaccine patent protections.

“No barriers should stand in the way of equitable access to vaccines, including intellectual property, which is why we are supportive of a narrow waiver during the pandemic,” he wrote in a statement, which was an about-face for the world’s largest private foundation.

www.devex.com/news/gates-foundation-reverses-course-on-covid-19-vaccine-patents-99810

Atqui Sat 08-May-21 18:32:45

Thank you for that information Maisie

CanadianGran Sat 08-May-21 18:57:58

MaizieD, thank you for that article. I have never really understood the conspiracy theories involving Bill Gates. To me it seems he has made his ka-billions and is now involved in many charitable schemes. Why would he want to harm the world's population, and why do so many want to bring him down?

And as for patent protection, I think at heart he is a capitalist, so therefore standing up for patents makes sense in his eyes. Glad that he agrees with temporarily lifting, but not sure if he has any involvement in the actual decision.

Galaxy Sat 08-May-21 19:02:40

I wonder who has contributed more to humanity, Bill Gates or Russel Brand, it's a tricky one.

suziewoozie Sat 08-May-21 19:09:51

That Russell Brand? Flipping heck yep a tricky one

Atqui Sat 08-May-21 19:14:47

MaizieD, thank you for that article. I have never really understood the conspiracy theories involving Bill Gates. To me it seems he has made his ka-billions and is now involved in many charitable schemes. Why would he want to harm the world's population, and why do so many want to bring him down?
My thoughts too MaizieD

M0nica Sat 08-May-21 19:54:02

Bill Gates was cautious about lifting patents on COVID for very good reason. When there are patents the company holding the patents will exercise control over their manufacture to make sure that the other people making the vaccine are making it properly, storing it safely and making sure that every vaccination is safe to use and effective.

Once you lift a patent, any Tom, Dick or Hari, who has a factory that says it can make a vaccine can do so, without any supervsion from the patentee, no quality checks. You are taking the risk that errors and sloppiness in producing these products could result in vaccines that are dangerous to the recipient or unable to protect them, so that someone thinks they have had the jab, which they have, but they are not protected.

A disinclination to lift patents has more to do with protecting recipients - and protecting Bill Gates from futher conspiracy accusations should patients receiving the unpatented jab become ill and die or catch COVID.