8 May 2021 - But it will not have an immediate effect on supplies.

America has long been the global protector-in-chief of intellectual property. But on 5 May it sought to tear up the rule book. “The extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures,” said Katherine Tai, the United States Trade Representative. 

To help battle the pandemic, the administration of President Joe Biden said it supported waiving some intellectual-property protections for vaccines. Jaws dropped—along with the share prices of vaccine makers.

Read The Economist article