For More Vaccines Globally, Boost Tech Transfer
May 6, 2021
The Biden administration has come out in favor of waiving patent protections for COVID-19 vaccines, a measure advocated by countries such as South Africa and India. But some experts see this as only a first step, arguing that patent-holders should also supply their technical know-how to developing countries facing vaccine shortages. Fostering technology transfer aligns with ideas presented by Ken Shadlen, a scholar of international development, in an Issues online exclusive. He proposes that patent holders should be encouraged—and given specific incentives—to license and share their technologies widely, and to build large networks of licensees to make and distribute vaccines at scale.