Irish Examiner View: The world needs a better Covid vaccine deal

As the coronavirus continues to mutate, we must act to ensure a more equitable and speedy distribution of vaccines.

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It is difficult to conceive that nearly 30 months after the first case of Covid-19 arrived in Ireland, and with new variants on the move internationally, that we are all still debating a universal right of access to pandemic medicines through a relaxation of intellectual property (IP) rights.

Next week, World Trade Organization ministers will consider the latest, and watered-down, version of a proposal that was first tabled in 2020 by South Africa and India, and was backed by over 100 countries.