OUR BEST CHANCE OF ENDING THIS PANDEMIC is to ensure that everyone, everywhere has access to Covid-19 vaccines. But pharmaceutical monopolies are restricting supply and rich governments have hoarded doses, leaving countries in the global south waiting up to 2023 for widespread vaccination. […]
Join the global day of action on March 11! Our best chance of ending this pandemic is to ensure that everyone, everywhere has access to Covid-19 vaccines, tests and treatments. But pharmaceutical monopolies are restricting supply, leaving countries in the global south waiting […]
Free the Vaccine launched it’s next round, Season 3, on February 17. With over 100 participants from across the globe, we are ready to continue the fight for equitable access to COVID-10 vaccines, diagnostics, and treatments. This time around, we broaden our strategy […]
The Free the Vaccine exhibit was covered in the news from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)! Laura Holzman, who curates the exhibit with other FTV members, is an associate professor and public scholar of curatorial practices and visual art at IUPUI. Herron Galleries at […]
The People’s Vaccine Alliance is calling on US President Joe Biden and the governments of the UK and EU to use their emergency powers and to leverage their massive public funding to put pressure on Pfizer/ BioNTech, Astra Zeneca, Moderna and other subsequently successful vaccine producers, to openly share their vaccine science and technology, to waive their patents and insist that all other major vaccine producers get involved in production.
Don’t miss this fantastic article co-authored by Free the Vaccine supporter and advocate Dr Reshma Ramachandran today in The Nation. Reshma will also be joining us at 12:30pm for our info session this afternoon, January 27th. Sign up on the home page of […]
Join Tayyiaba, Maanasa, Rachel and Merith tomorrow Wednesday January 27th LIVE at 11am via WeActRadio for a show called Community Thru Covid! We’ll be discussing the progress of Free the Vaccine for COVID-19 and what’s coming next! This show will be recorded so […]
We are gearing up for another round of Free the Vaccine! Even as we see vaccines start to roll out in many countries, access is still not equitable. While rich countries negotiate contracts with pharmaceutical companies to secure doses of the vaccine at […]
In support of the Free the Vaccine for Covid-19 Campaign led by UAEM and the Center for Artistic Activism, we are looking for a few part-time intern Project Managers. Project Managers will support participants in achieving the objectives of the campaign; assist in training participants […]
When asked if he would encourage the US to join the WHO’s COVID Technology Access Pool (C-TAP) so that NIH-funded COVID technology and know-how can be shared with the world, Dr. Fauci responds, “Yes, yes, yes!” Watch here:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact Joyce-Zoe Farley, Ph.D. Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) +1 201.983.3787 Communications@essentialmedicine.org Students and Activists Urge Arizona State University’s President Crow to Sign Open COVID Pledge for a People’s Vaccine WASHINGTON, DC–December 10, 2020 — “…Big Pharma is […]
Critical read on the need for a People’s Vaccine by Mariana Mazzucato, Els Torrele and Henry Lishi Li (available in multiple languages) in Project Syndicate. Designing Vaccines for People, Not Profits
Washington Post reports that the new frontier of vaccine diplomacy can be characterized by two paths: stockpile or share. While entities like the United States and the European Union have been focusing on stockpiling vaccines for their respective populations, other countries, such as […]
Merith joins Jocelyn from Act.Tv and Alex from Social Security Works to discuss Free the Vaccine and what the new vaccine announcements really mean for global equity. 🔈 Download Audio only: 50MB MP3 file
Image from the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative Today, the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) announced in a press release that thirteen countries in Africa, along with an international network of research institutions, are launching the largest clinical trial in Africa for […]
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, more than 100 high-level leaders from public health, faith-based, racial justice, and labor organizations, joined former members of Congress, economists, and artists to sign a public letter calling on President-elect Biden to make the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine a People’s […]
Kisha Patterson is a historic preservation architect, artist, and activist practicing in Pittsburgh, PA. She is grateful for the health and safety of her children and urges everyone to demand a People’s Vaccine and sign the Open Covid Pledge. She has been volunteering […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE WASHINGTON, DC–October 9, 2020–Moderna announced yesterday, under pressure from civil society groups including Free The Vaccine for COVID-19 and its allies in their calls for a People’s Vaccine, that it will not enforce patent protections on the pending coronavirus vaccine mRNA-1273. […]
Image from Suzanne Kreiter via The Boston Globe First, last week brought news that Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine had reported 90% efficacy. Then, we heard news from another top contender for the vaccine, Moderna, who reported 94.5% efficacy for their vaccine. Finally, Pfizer […]
with your host, Tessa Marshall. https://media.blubrry.com/popculturesalvageexpeditions/p/freethevaccine.org/wp-content/uploads/podcast/ftv-podcast—week-9.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe in your podcast player via RSS: RSS
The day before the election results were declared in the US, Merith Basey on behalf of UAEM and Free the Vaccine, was invited to join allied groups Spaces in Action, Casa in action and others in DC to support the call to “Count […]
Free the Vaccine for COVID-19 participant, Caitlin Berrigan, has an essay published in the journal March titled “Atmospheres of the Undead: living with viruses, loneliness, and neoliberalism.” In it she talks about how living with Hepatitis C “reveals the structural inequalities of profit-oriented […]
Image Credit: Dado Ruvic/Reuters/Washington Post “Megan McArdle was correct that the coronavirus pandemic has revealed the drug development system is working. What she didn’t mention is that the system is working as it was designed: to maximize monopoly profits for the pharmaceutical industry.” Universities Allied for […]
18 producers of generic medicines signed on to an agreement by the Medicines Patent Pool in order to expedite access to COVID-19 health technologies. Read more here.
The Gates Foundation has often been applauded for their contributions to global research and development. Read an in-depth analysis from Health Policy Watch here.
The Duke Global Health Innovation Effort launched in order to track vaccine manufacturing deals that have been developed by countries all over the world. Read more here.
with your host, Tessa Marshall. https://media.blubrry.com/popculturesalvageexpeditions/p/freethevaccine.org/wp-content/uploads/podcast/ftv-podcast—week-7.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe in your podcast player via RSS: RSS
Last week, the U.S. government finally released the contract it made with Moderna in August for vaccine manufacturing and distribution. As with most documents of public interest released by this administration, the contract is heavily redacted. Moderna Therapeutics holds one of the current […]
with your host, Tessa Marshall. https://media.blubrry.com/popculturesalvageexpeditions/p/freethevaccine.org/wp-content/uploads/podcast/ftv-podcast—week-6.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe in your podcast player via RSS: RSS
For almost an entire year now, all eyes have been focusing on research to find a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19. What are these clinical trials really measuring? Peter Doshi of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) reports that the current Phase III […]
According to Global Citizen, researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) in South Africa have recently launched a trial to test to see if a vaccine given for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) can serve […]
with your host, Tessa Marshall. https://media.blubrry.com/popculturesalvageexpeditions/p/freethevaccine.org/wp-content/uploads/podcast/ftv-podcast—week-5.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe in your podcast player via RSS: RSS
What do you get when you put lab coats with a message, 70’s fashion, and brightly-colored formal attire in a room with activists pushing for a People’s Vaccine? A Funk Rally! Save The Date: October 21st On October 21st, join us and our […]
Free the Vaccine for COVID-19 member, Caitlin Berrigan, published an essay called “Atmospheres of the Undead: living with viruses, loneliness, and neoliberalism” in a new journal called MARCH. Setting a price for the cure of HCV was the golden spike that has since […]
This week within the campaign we’ve been discussing moral frameworks and how people think about vaccines, healthcare, masks, and more in terms of right and wrong. The Center for Artistic Activism led a short lesson on moral frameworks this week, and supplemented it […]
WASHINGTON, DC–October 9, 2020–Moderna announced yesterday, under pressure from civil society groups including Free The Vaccine for COVID-19 and its allies in their calls for a People’s Vaccine, that it will not enforce patent protections on the pending coronavirus vaccine mRNA-1273. While such actions […]
with your host, Tessa Marshall. https://media.blubrry.com/popculturesalvageexpeditions/p/freethevaccine.org/wp-content/uploads/podcast/ftv-podcast—week-4.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe in your podcast player via RSS: RSS
with your host Tessa Marshall. More info at freethevaccine.org https://media.blubrry.com/popculturesalvageexpeditions/p/freethevaccine.org/wp-content/uploads/podcast/ftv-podcast—week-3.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe in your podcast player via RSS: RSS
with your host Tessa Marshall. More info at freethevaccine.org https://media.blubrry.com/popculturesalvageexpeditions/p/freethevaccine.org/wp-content/uploads/podcast/ftv-podcast—week-2.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe in your podcast player via RSS: RSS
Wondering how politics plays into the pandemic? Read more about the United States’ actions (and inactions) for addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic here.
Our South African comrade Dr Zolelwa Sifumba shares why we need global solidarity and a plan to address Covid-19. Read her Op-Ed in the Scientific American here.
Priti Krishtel, an Ashoka Fellow and one of our advisors here at Free the Vaccine, talks to Manmeet Mehta of Ashoka on who will get access to the vaccine and other life-saving medicines, how those decisions are made, and what changes – culture […]
with your host Tessa Marshall. More info at freethevaccine.org https://media.blubrry.com/popculturesalvageexpeditions/p/freethevaccine.org/wp-content/uploads/podcast/ftv-podcast—week-1.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe in your podcast player via RSS: RSS
An exhibit of the work created in the Free the Vaccine for COVID-19 campaign is listed on the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries. The Association of Academic Museums and Galleries is the leading educational and professional organization for academic museums, galleries, and […]
Dr Jocelyn Kelly, Director of the Program on Gender, Rights and Resilience at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, discussed the Coronavirus Pandemic and how it has impacted some of the world’s most vulnerable populations during this Facebook Live Q&A with The World’s Elana Gordon. […]
You still have a little time (until end of day on Sept 1st!) to join the amazing crew of hundreds of students, designers, advocates and many others around the world who want to help end this darn pandemic through creativity and community. Submit […]
Our friends at Arts Corps, under the leadership of James Miles, will be joining the UAEM and C4AA teams as an official partner organization for this next Season 2 of Free the Vaccine! The onslaught of the COVID-19 virus has shown to disproportionately impacts […]
Free the Vaccine for COVID-19 is looking for the right candidate to join us as a Campaign Manager for Season 2 of our campaign! Help us get the word out! If you know someone who would be a good match, please pass the […]
The Free the Vaccine for COVID-19 Campaign, led by Universities Allied For Essential Medicines and the Center For Artistic Activism, is calling on Moderna Sciences to make the Open Covid Pledge which would commit any relevant intellectual property to be made available globally via open access […]
Apply by filling out this form by Sept 6th 11:59pm EDT. Returning collective members, please fill out the above form also! More details on below. First, What is Free the Vaccine for COVID-19? Our campaign aims to ensure that publicly-funded diagnostic tools, treatment, […]
If you read this newsletter, we have two things to say. One, we love you! And two, we want to know what you love. Has a particular Free The Vaccine action inspired you? Do you wake up every Friday excited for the Special […]
The Seal Lab organized this incredible march of 30 demonstrators—the maximum number allowed to gather—in London this past week! From the creative costumes to the brilliant UAEM banner, we’re seeing so much inspiration for future demonstrations. Check out the video and share with […]
This week, we’d like to introduce you to two more members of our wonderful Free The Vaccine community: Izzy Levine and Mahima Arya, who are both from New Jersey! Izzy and Mahima are members of the Fox Lab, which is comprised of activists […]
Our friends at I-MAK, which seeks to “increase global access to affordable life-saving medicines by restoring integrity to the patent system,” have launched a newsletter. In their first “something hopeful” segment, they’ve kindly chosen to highlight: The excellent #FreeTheVaccine campaign, a global movement […]
Pfizer could make over $15 billion in vaccine sales An analyst has predicted that Pfizer could make over $15 billion from the vaccine at its current price of $19.50 per dose, in addition to the $1.95 billion Pfizer has already received from the […]
As the first phase of our campaign nears its end, we’d like to introduce you to Elin Chee, a recent graduate of UC Berkeley and a member of our Fox Lab! Meet Elin A data scientist, artist, and activist who hopes to go […]
On July 16th, the Hartford Courant published a letter to the editor by Merith Basey, the Executive Director for UAEM North America and one of our leads at the Free The Vaccine campaign, in which she responds to a June 28th op-ed by […]
On July 15th, world leaders (including Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde, South Korean President Moon Jae-In, New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, Swedish PM Stefan Lofven, and Tunisian PM Elyes Fakhfakh) […]
Remember this stunning action that the Ligers put together? Turns out it’s pretty easy for you to do on your own, and we hope you will! To make the process as simple as possible, the Liger Lab has made this great how-to video […]
Last week, famous Australian bioethicist Peter Singer tweeted his support for Free The Vaccine. It wasn’t a random gesture of support; Dolphin Lab members had reached out asking for him to show his support on social media and for permission to use his […]
Ady Barkan secures a rhetorical commitment from Joe Biden on access to the vaccine, while Gavi’s agreements with donor countries appear to pose problems for access.
Join Us in London! Monday 27th 12-3 Universities receive billions in public funding for their research on Covid-19 vaccines, diagnostics, tracking tools and treatments. We’re asking them to sign the Open Covid Pledge, to stop drug companies profiteering with publicly funded research. […]
An op-ed by UAEM student Klara Lou, published in the Vanderbilt Hustler on July 15th, discussed the Free The Vaccine campaign in the context of the university’s broader commitments to social justice, and called for the university to join the Open COVID Pledge.
An op-ed by Sophia Crabbe-Field, published on July 8th in Democracy Journal, explains the debate over access to COVID-19 vaccines and the need for people’s vaccine: Should the pharmaceutical industry be successful in convincing the world they are indeed the heroes of the […]
Several weeks ago, our participants decided to make a Free The Vaccine video inspired by “Jolene” after learning that Vanderbilt University had received $10 million from the US government for COVID-19 vaccine research, in addition to $1 million from country singer Dolly Parton. […]
The U.S. Government Pays Biotech Company Novavax $1.6 Billion On July 7th, the U.S. government gave biotech company Novavax $1.6 billion to cover testing, commercialization and manufacturing of a potential coronavirus vaccine. The move was particularly notable because Novavax has never brought a […]
This week, our participants’ mission was to engage the public. That means reworking posters using detailed feedback from Avram Finkelstein, posting on social media to increase individual sign-on to the Open COVID Pledge (note: if you’re reading this and haven’t signed on yet, […]
Got three minutes to help our team? One of our Seal squads, based in Europe, had the idea to create a “Goodnight Stories for Rebel Scientists” book to celebrate COVID-19 researchers and advocate for the Open COVID Pledge at the same time! They’ve […]
A new op-ed in STAT News by Chris Morten, Christian Urrutia, and James Krellenstein explains how an existing legal tool called government patent use could be used by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to increase competition and drive down the […]
Don’t miss this fantastic piece by Michael Caron McGuill in WBUR’s Cognoscenti on what we can learn from ACT UP’s history, and why we need a free vaccine. McGuill writes: One campaign fighting for global access and a free vaccine, Free the Vaccine, represents […]