O CAOLÁIN CALLS ON EU PARLIAMENT TO EMBRACE COVID-19 VACCINE EQUITY PRINCIPLE

Former Sinn Féin TD for Cavan/Monaghan Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin joined with the party’s MEP for the Midlands North West constituency Chris MacManus in Brussels last week to appeal to the European Parliament to deepen its commitment to the global campaign for equity in the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines. Ó Caoláin, who has been playing a leading role in the campaign to have equal access to vaccines for the world’s developing nations, was encouraging support for the TRIPs Waiver and No Profit No Pandemic campaigns.

MEP MacManus said he was delighted to welcome his friend and colleague from Monaghan to the European Parliament. “We were here for serious business though,” Mr MacManus stated. “A global pandemic requires a global solution. The EU are not doing enough to quell the spread of Covid-19. “Patent protection must be dropped so countries across the globe can access safe and effective vaccines and treatments. Every citizen can put pressure on the Commission by signing the European Citizens’ Initiative at www.NoProfitOnPandemic.Eu

“Ireland is now approaching our target signature figure. We need less than 1000 signatures to meet our initial objective. So I’m calling on the people of Monaghan and Cavan for one last push. “Big Pharma should not be profiteering from a Pandemic. Greed is the enemy of progress in terms of global health. With new variants presenting every week, we need to work harder as a global community. “We need to see a temporary waiving of intellectual property rights, the TRIPs Waiver, so developing countries can get a handle on rising Covid numbers. Quite simply, nobody is safe until everybody is safe.” Mr MacManus paid tribute to Caoimhghín…