European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Ms. Von der Leyen said Europe has to focus on producing as much vaccines as possible and ensuring fair distribution. As of Sunday, about 400 million doses have been produced, half of which were exported. She said in the short term, that is the best thing to do.

The US said it supports the COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver. French President Emmanuel Macron said he is ready to discuss the issue but it will not help increase the world’s vaccination speed. His opinion was echoed by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi.