Wafaa El-Sadr, MD, MPH, MPA was quoted in a recent article in the Washington Post calling for expanded patent rights over the Moderna vaccine that would speed vaccinations to low- and middle-income countries by requiring the company to cooperate in a plan to dramatically increase production and reduce the price. Public health advocates are actively pushing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to more aggressively negotiate with Moderna, using the NIH’s contributions of shared data and expertise during the vaccine’s development as leverage. Joining her voice to a growing collective of public health experts, Dr. El-Sadr said

“It seems to me like a golden opportunity to do what’s right. It’s within our hands collectively in the United States to move forward so this technology can enable others to be able to produce these vaccines at a rapid pace.”