White House: No decision yet on vaccine patent waiver

The White House, under pressure from progressives in Congress, has for weeks been declining to outline its position on a patent waiver for COVID-19 vaccines that backers say would boost global access.

But White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki elaborated more than usual on Tuesday on the considerations the administration is weighing.

“Our focus is on maximizing production and supply for the world at the lowest possible cost and there are a lot of different ways to do that,” she said.

“That’s one of the ways,” Psaki added, referring to the waiver. “But we have to assess what makes the most sense.”

She pointed to the strong manufacturing capabilities for vaccines already in the United States.

“We have to evaluate whether it’s more effective to manufacture here and provide supply to the world or the [intellectual property] waiver is an option,” she said. “There has not been a recommendation made from the [U.S. Trade Representative] nor has the president made a decision.”