Socially conscious investors and global health activists are asking the shareholders of Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE), Moderna Inc (NASDAQ:MRNA) y Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) to pressure companies to make more COVID-19 vaccines available to poorer countries.
Some agencies, such as the anti-poverty organization Oxfam, have submitted proposals in shareholder votes to ask drugmakers to do more to expand access to COVID-19 vaccines, according to recoge el Wall Street Journal.
The makers of the COVID-19 vaccine are asking shareholders to reject the ballot measures, which the companies say could lead to the manufacture of low-quality vaccines.
Oxfam’s proposals on the Pfizer and Moderna ballots ask companies to explore the feasibility of transferring their intellectual property and know-how to other manufacturers in low- and middle-income countries.
In December, Pfizer and Moderna asked the SEC for permission to exclude Oxfam resolutions from their ballots. The SEC denied their requests, saying the matters went beyond ordinary business.
Oxfam’s J&J resolution asks the company to report whether receipt of government funding for its COVID-19 vaccine will be taken into account when setting prices or taking other actions that affect access to its vaccine.
Oxfam presented the same resolution to J&J shareholders last year and was supported by around 31% of the shares voted at the annual meeting. Shareholder votes on the resolutions will be counted and announced at the annual meetings scheduled for April 28.
Photo of Johaehn on Pixabay
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