Covid: US backs waiver on vaccine intellectual property

Re:Covid: US backs waiver on vaccine intellectual property by tharne on Thursday May 06, 2021 @11:55AM (#27065159)

> Why should 18 years olds in the EU/US receive a vaccine before 75 year olds in other countries?

Because a nation state has a duty to protect the safety of its own citizens first and foremost. If a government continuously puts the needs of other countries over the needs of its own citizens, who is going to support a system like that long-term? Perhaps a handful of upper-middle-class idealists, but not most people. Right or wrong, that's just not human nature.

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Re:Covid: US backs waiver on vaccine intellectual property by MikeUt on Thursday May 06, 2021 @12:20PM (#27065531)

> Because a nation state has a duty to protect the safety of its own citizens first and foremost.

I strongly agree, but that does not mean it has to be completely amoral in its interactions with other nations. Its own citizens may in fact be in favor of taking on some risk to help people beyond their borders.

There is also a pragmatic side to this. A nation that acts too selfishly may soon find itself without allies.

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Re:Covid: US backs waiver on vaccine intellectual property by tharne on Thursday May 06, 2021 @12:37PM (#27065814)

Perhaps I didn't put enough nuance in my response, you're absolutely right. A nation state should put it's citizens first, but that should not preclude helping others.

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