Equitable access to a COVID-19 vaccine is critical to ensure that this pandemic ends once and for all, and to prevent a rollback of decades of progress towards eliminating poverty and advancing gender equality.

Oxfam Canada is calling on the government of Canada to support the waiver on the TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) Agreement currently proposed at the World Trade Organization (WTO). At current rates of vaccinations many poorer countries will not be able to complete mass vaccination programs until 2024. This waiver is vital to scaling-up vaccine manufacturing and production and increasing supply for the poorest countries. Timely access to a vaccine saves lives.