Today's FT reports that there is a resolution of Indonesia's concerns regarding sharing virus samples and access to virus vaccines:
The language of the World Health Assembly draft resolution is vague. It says a working group of the WHO, the UN’s health agency, will develop rules to guarantee “timely sharing of viruses” between affected countries and the WHO and ensure ”fair and equitable distribution of pandemic influenza vaccines at affordable prices in the event of a pandemic”.
It does not meet Indonesia’s demand that samples only be given to vaccine manufacturers with the prior consent of the donor nation. It says that ”in times of public health emergencies of international concern,” manufacturers should be given ”full access” to samples.
It will be interesting to see how the WHO rules ensuring "fair and equitable distribution" of vaccines will be reconciled, or not, with TRIPS rules.
