Clete Willems Quoted on Vaccine Patent Question

In “The Vaccine Diplomacy Balance,” POLITICO quoted Akin Gump public law and policy partner Clete Willems for an article on controversy regarding a World Trade Organization (WTO) proposal regarding a waiver for patent protections on COVID-19 vaccines.

The article notes that some who earlier supported such a move are silent on the WTO proposal and poses the question of whether a deal is needed.

Said Willems, who served in the Trump administration as Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economics, said, “There are enough vaccines being produced to give one to every single person that wants one. The problem is not enough people want them. And the problem is that distribution channels are not as good as they could be for people who do want them but can't get them.”