Germany says production capacity, not patents, key to upping vaccine output

BERLIN (Reuters) – The main challenge to raising production of COVID-19 vaccines is how to quickly and effectively transfer technology, Germany’s health minister said Friday, reiterating Berlin’s opposition to a U.S. proposal to waive patent protection.

“The main issue is not patent protection but production capacity,” Jens Spahn told a news conference on Friday.

In a jab at the Biden administration, Spahn also said: “I would be delighted if the United States shows the same willingness to export vaccines that we in Germany do.”

(Reporting by Douglas Busvine and Paul Carrel, editing by Riham Alkousaa)