The government’s support party The Unity List will convene the parliamentary parties for an urgent question about the possibilities of issuing emergency licenses to produce covid-19 vaccines.
This must be done via international channels such as the EU, writes TV2. SF supports the proposal.
By emergency licenses is meant that manufacturers other than those who have a patent on it should be allowed to produce vaccines during the pandemic. They must then provide compensation to the pharmaceutical companies that have the patent for the vaccine.
Both SF and the Unity List also want the government to commit to a decision in principle that any excess vaccine doses from Denmark must be sent to low-income countries.
– It is a fundamental problem that only ten percent of the world’s countries sit on 95 percent of the vaccines. So we must ensure an equal global distribution, says health spokesman Peder Hvelplund (EL) to TV2.
On Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said there should be a fairer distribution of coronavirus vaccines.
At present, it is primarily the resourceful countries that bring vaccines home.
– The danger is that if we do not get vaccinated all over the world, then there will be more mutations of this disease, which we have already seen. And if mutations happen and it results in the vaccines not working, then what do we do?
– We have an interest in this. And we must get the world moving again, says rapporteur for international development Rasmus Nordqvist (SF) to TV2.
At the support party De Radikale, development spokesman Rasmus Helveg Petersen is positive about the idea of sending excess vaccines to other countries.
On the other hand, he sees no need for emergency licenses. He believes that “it looks like it is possible to do on a commercial basis”.
The European Commission has tentatively entered into prior agreements for the purchase of vaccines from a total of six vaccine manufacturers. These are the agreements that secure covid-19 vaccines to Denmark.
The six agreements together mean that Denmark can now buy vaccines for a total of approximately 23 million citizens. There are about 5.8 million people living in Denmark.