Socialism in a Nutshell: Vaccine Confiscation by the French Government

 

When I saw this story originally in the Wall Street Journal last week, it just made me gasp, then shake my head in exasperation.

The American Government, in the institution of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, has been providing funds to French pharmaceutical company Sanofi, in their attempts to come up with a vaccine for the Wuhan Coronavirus. Because of that funding, the company said that the U.S. would be in line to receive the first batches of the vaccine whenever it is deemed ready for the public.

CEO Paul Hudson previously said the US “has the right” to get the vaccine first should the drug prove effective because the country had contributed the most to Sanofi’s vaccine project.

When the French Government heard that, they reacted with predictable outrage.

Sanofi officials were summoned to a conference with the French Prime Minister and President Emmanuel Macron and were told in no uncertain terms, that any vaccine would be a “public good, for the benefit of all”, and that they would not be allowed to give any country priority, regardless of where their funding came from.

The company caved and retracted its statement of priority.

Why, oh why, would the U.S. Government fund research by a foreign company, when they can predict that the results of that research will be essentially confiscated by the socialist elements of the EU?

Published in Science & Technology
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  1. ctlaw Coolidge
    ctlaw
    @ctlaw

    Ever since they confiscated the shipment of masks headed to the UK, we should have held Vichy to have reopened World War II hostilities and acted accordingly.

    • #1
  2. Jim McConnell Member
    Jim McConnell
    @JimMcConnell

    As the saying goes, “In international relations there are no friends, only interests.”

    Would you expect anything better from the French than what they have done? I don’t believe the word “honor” is to be found in the French government lexicon.

    • #2
  3. DonG (skeptic) Coolidge
    DonG (skeptic)
    @DonG

    I am not worried.  We could always void their patent rights and duplicate it.  Be assured that whatever works will be copied by China and sold anywhere.

    • #3
  4. Fake John/Jane Galt Coolidge
    Fake John/Jane Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    Why would anybody expect any different?  Only the US has a first principle of help all but US first and the American First or Make America Great Again is a racist concept worthy of jailing.  Even if we did get a vaccine I expect it to go to political class first, the wealthy then the illegals and minorities before the racist majority class.

    • #4
  5. Ray Kujawa Coolidge
    Ray Kujawa
    @RayKujawa

    RushBabe49: Why, oh why, would the US Government fund research by a foreign company, when they can predict that the results of that research will be essentially confiscated by the Socialist elements of the EU?

    Why, oh why would the US government fund research into high pathogenic coronavirus infection in the US before it was banned by the HHS in 2014, and then after the researcher went back to Wuhan, China to continue the research, why did Dr. Anthony Fauci grant the Wuhan Institute of Virology $3.7 million in 2015? The US declared a moratorium on risky virology studies involving influenza, MERS and SARS viruses (Covid-19 official designation is SARS-CoV-2). We declared a moratorium because we recognized the danger, not just risk in a lab.
    Doctor Fauci, as for most scientists, is always desiring to advance knowledge in a scientific area, regardless of the human cost. His words to date have reflected his reticence to discontinue or make a determination to end lockdowns because he does not consider himself competent to make such an evaluation. Further proof of that is his inability to see the potential human cost of funding research in dangerous areas, and just as bad, choosing to ignore the decisions of our own government. The doctor is dangerous to the interests of the US public. He should be retired from the taskforce.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/04/breaking-dr-fauci-obama-admin-gave-wuhan-lab-3-7-million-top-dr-shi-zhengli-us-project-shut-sent-back-china/

    But since we did inadvertently fund some of this research, it stands to reason that we should be allowed to share in the findings  therein. What have we gotten for our $3.7 million? Or is it more likely that the doctor will find a way for some of the pharmaceutical companies he invests in to benefit from the research? Maybe Covid-19 could be good business for drug companies, you think?

    • #5
  6. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    So, the French will be the test subjects? Works for me.

    Jim McConnell (View Comment):
    I don’t believe the word “honor” is to be found in the French government lexicon.

    It is, but they spell it funny, kind of like the British: honneur.

    • #6
  7. EODmom Coolidge
    EODmom
    @EODmom

    ctlaw (View Comment):

    Ever since they confiscated the shipment of masks headed to the UK, we should have held Vichy to have reopened World War II hostilities and acted accordingly.

    Actually – it’s almost like they don’t think these things through. Contract? You don’t got no stinking contract!

    • #7
  8. Seawriter Contributor
    Seawriter
    @Seawriter

    Arahant (View Comment):

    It is, but they spell it funny, kind of like the British: honneur.

    And don’t forget the French tradition of pour l’honneur le pavillon.

    A scurvy people, the French.

    • #8
  9. MiMac Thatcher
    MiMac
    @MiMac

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    It is, but they spell it funny, kind of like the British: honneur.

    And don’t forget the French tradition of pour l’honneur le pavillon.

    A scurvy people, the French.

    I think they spell it “whore”

    • #9
  10. MiMac Thatcher
    MiMac
    @MiMac

    MiMac (View Comment):

    Seawriter (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    It is, but they spell it funny, kind of like the British: honneur.

    And don’t forget the French tradition of pour l’honneur le pavillon.

    A scurvy people, the French.

    I think they spell it “whore”. When you say “honor” they think you said “on her”.

     

    • #10
  11. David Foster Member
    David Foster
    @DavidFoster

    Is there a *contract* which specifies the US gets the vaccine first?

    The linked article is silent on that question, which seems pretty important.

     

     

    • #11
  12. JoelB Member
    JoelB
    @JoelB

    Uh-oh. A bad deal on Trump’s watch.

    • #12
  13. Ray Kujawa Coolidge
    Ray Kujawa
    @RayKujawa

    Arahant (View Comment):
    So, the French will be the test subjects? Works for me.

    So the French will be getting it first after all (in the arm). What are they complaining about?

    On a more serious note, just because they get a head start manufacturing a new vaccine doesn’t mean they wouldn’t become a choke point for the production if they don’t license other outfits to do it. When production has to ramp up to supply the globe, a lot of parties can be turned on quickly to fill a potential void. High quality new drugs and high quantity would rarely be expected to exist together under the same roof. Remember the CDC original test.

    Then there’s China, who without a license is probably already ramping up to manufacture brand X equivalents of half the coronavirus vaccines being developed. Hey, it’s globalism.

    • #13
  14. ctlaw Coolidge
    ctlaw
    @ctlaw

    Ray Kujawa (View Comment):
    Then there’s China, who without a license is probably already ramping up to manufacture brand X equivalents of half the coronavirus vaccines being developed. Hey, it’s globalism.

    It’s China, so for us they’ll put horse urine in knock off vaccine packaging.

    • #14
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