Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government  told Senate Estimates in June that Australia is not opposed to negotiation of the TRIPS waiver, but has not yet made a decision to support it.

Right now, half of Australia’s population – more than 13 million people – are living under a hard lockdown after a growing outbreak of the Delta coronavirus strain that began in Sydney in June. The strict stay at home measures come amid a  shortage in vaccine supply and a  botched rollout that has left Australia largely  unvaccinated, with only 12 percent of the population fully immunized, one of the lowest rates among developed countries.

When a wealthy country like Australia can’t secure enough vaccine supply, it is clear that global vaccine production and licensing arrangements are far from meeting the world’s needs.

In May, the United States  announced its support for a waiver of the TRIPS agreement, the World Trade Organization’s intellectual property rules for Covid-19 vaccines and other health products to enable quicker and fairer access for low-income countries. In October 2020, India and South Africa proposed to waive TRIPS rules for Covid-19 vaccines until widespread vaccination is in place globally.

Despite initially  welcoming the US decision, Australia has since gone quiet. Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s government  told Senate Estimates in June that Australia is not opposed to negotiation of the TRIPS waiver, but has not yet made a decision to support it.

This raises concerns about whether pharmaceutical companies are putting pressure on Canberra,  as they have done in Europe, and what the European Commission, which has also  not supported the waiver, is asking of Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan behind closed doors.

The global vaccine shortage is an urgent crisis. Australia’s neighbors are currently experiencing even greater hardships.  Indonesia and  Thailand have record death rates as the Delta variant hits their largely unvaccinated populations. People are dying in their  homes, without access to medical care, as critical care beds across Asia are  filling up fast.

The Morrison government’s continuing silence begs the question as to what more would be needed for the government to publicly support a TRIPS waiver. A recent  poll showed most Australians support a temporary waiver.

Life-saving vaccines have become crucial in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. The Australian government should play a leadership role and support all measures that will help expand their production around the globe.

Author: Sophie McNeill, Australia Researcher

This article has been republished from Human Rights Watch.