Prognosis

WHO Asks Countries to Make Covid Vaccines Universally Available

A researcher works on a vaccine for Covid-19.

Photographer: Thibault Savary/AFP via Getty Images

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The World Health Organization is pushing a proposal that aims to ensure broad access to Covid-19 treatments and vaccines while offering an appropriate reward to creators.

Under the plan, which was proposed by Costa Rica, pharmaceutical companies would be asked to voluntarily donate their Covid-related intellectual property to a common global pool. Countries then would be free to decide for themselves how to mete out the rights.