Campaign Launch: People’s Vaccine Alliance Ireland

Campaign Launch: People’s Vaccine Alliance Ireland

Date: Thursday, July 8
Time: 1 – 2 pm Irish Time

The fairest and most effective way to end the COVID-19 pandemic is to ensure that everyone, everywhere has access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments. But pharmaceutical company monopolies could leave countries in the global south waiting until 2023 for widespread vaccination.

This event marked the launch of a national campaign by the People’s Vaccine Alliance Ireland—a coalition of Irish organisations, health practitioners, trade unions and activists who have come together to call on the Irish government to take a stand for fairness, equality and global health. 

More than 250 people attended the live event which was hosted by the IGHN and included Irish and international speakers campaigning for vaccine equity worldwide.

If your organisation would like to sign up to the movement, please email [email protected]

Speakers during the launch event included:

• Dr Ciara Conlan, Co Founder of Access to Medicines Ireland
• Mustaqeem De Gama, South African Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organisation in relatioin to the TRIPS waiver
• Majo Rivas, Paraguayan-Irish People’s Vaccine activist
• Senator Alice-Mary Higgins, Irish Independent Politician
• Isabel Simpson, Executive Director, Médecins Sans Frontières Ireland
• Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme 

Download Speaker Biographies

About the Alliance

A total of 19 organisations currently make up the Vaccine Alliance Ireland, which was set up to put pressure on the Irish government to reconsider their position on the TRIPS waiver and use their influence at EU level to to ensure that everyone, everywhere has access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments. 

Members include: Access to Medicines Ireland, Action Aid Ireland, Amnesty International Ireland, AMRI, Centre for Global Education , Christian Aid Ireland, Comhlamh, Friends of the Earth Ireland,GOAL, Gorey Malawi Health Partnership, ICCL, Irish General Practice Nurses Educational Association, Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation,  Irish Global Health Network, Oxfam Ireland, Plan International Ireland,Trinity Centre for Global Health, Trócaire, 80:20 Educating and Acting for a Better World

MORE INFORMATION

Ireland’s vaccine roll out is gathering speed. Soon every adult in Ireland will have access to a COVID-19 vaccine.  But the global pandemic is far from over and less than 3% of people in lower income countries have access to a vaccine.  

This inequity is a result of decisions taken by governments and must be challenged. We are asking the Irish government to take a stand for fairness, equality and global health by calling for a #PeoplesVaccine. 

SIGN THE PETITION

The science is clear. The fairest and most effective way to end this pandemic is to ensure that everyone, everywhere has access to a COVID-19 vaccine.  Not only is this the right thing to do, it is also in our self interest, as ongoing outbreaks anywhere mean greater risk of new variants developing, against which our vaccines may not be effective. There simply is no way to defeat COVID-19 in Ireland without united action worldwide.

The Irish Global Health Network is  a member of the Peoples Vaccine Alliance Ireland which is campaigning to upscale production of COVID-19 vaccines so they are available to everyone, everywhere.

Global access to vaccines will only be possible if many more vaccine manufacturers are permitted to produce vaccines and if pharmaceutical companies agree to share their recipes and know-how. Will you call for a #PeoplesVaccine?

We would like to invite you to the digital launch of the People’s Vaccine Alliance Ireland, on Thursday, July 8th @ 1-2 pm. Register here.