Rome (CNN) Pope Francis has backed growing calls for a patents waiver for Covid-19 vaccines in a video message for a "Vax Live" benefit concert airing Saturday. Global advocacy groups argue that waiving patents for Covid-19 vaccines could help expand the global supply of shots and narrow the vaccination gap between rich and poor nations. The Vatican's official news site reports that in the message, the Pope calls for "universal access to vaccines and the temporary suspension of intellectual property rights." Francis urges the world not to forget the most vulnerable in the face of the pandemic, which has "produced death and suffering, affecting the lives of all" and exacerbated existing social and environmental crises. He also counsels against individualism, saying God instils a spirit of communion "that allows us to generate a different, more inclusive, fair and sustainable economic model."

Source: CNN May 08, 2021 12:29 UTC