LAYLA MORAN MP Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon www.laylamoran.com Unit C5, Grange Court, Abingdon Science Park, Barton Lane, Abingdon, OX14 3NB The Rt Hon. Boris Johnson MP Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street London, SW1A 2AA 28 May 2021 Our ref: LM39131 Dear Prime Minister, As the recent spike in cases of the ‘Indian’ variant across the UK has sadly proven, to save lives at home, we must vaccinate the world. The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus this week heard stark evidence from leading experts about the urgent need to achieve the equitable distribution of vaccines across the world. While the vaccine programme here at home continues at pace, the pandemic is surging in lower and middle income nations where vulnerable groups and health workers remain unvaccinated. We are seeing harrowing scenes unfolding in countries such as Nepal or Bangladesh, where Covid cases and deaths are soaring due to the desperate shortage of vaccines. There is a clear moral imperative to act to close the global vaccine divide. But there is also a rational case to intervene and support vaccination efforts abroad, to stop the threat of variants emerging abroad and taking root in the UK. The longer we wait to act, the more likely it is that dangerous variants could emerge that can evade the protections offered by current vaccines. The UK has an opportunity to use the G7 summit to show leadership on this critical issue and demonstrate that Global Britain is more than just a slogan. While the UK has rightly committed funding to COVAX, we remain a net importer of Covid-19 vaccines. The APPG on Coronavirus therefore recommends that the UK must immediately adopt a policy of vaccine matching, in which for each dose of the vaccine imported, one dose is donated to COVAX. This will help meet the urgent demand for vaccines in low and middle income countries around the world. At the same time, the UK should immediately turn its economic might to rapidly expand our domestic vaccine production capability and become a net vaccine exporter. This will help save lives abroad and safeguard our ability to keep the virus at bay, including through booster vaccines adapted to new variants. Finally, the UK government should support the WTO TRIPS waiver proposal, accompanied by the associated transfer of technology, to boost vaccine manufacturing capability in low and middle income countries. LAYLA MORAN MP Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon www.laylamoran.com Unit C5, Grange Court, Abingdon Science Park, Barton Lane, Abingdon, OX14 3NB The UK mustn’t miss the opportunity provided by the G7 summit to lead the way in promoting more equitable global access to Covid-19 vaccines. Professor Andrew Pollard from the Oxford Vaccine Group, who helped develop the AstraZeneca vaccine, warned us that "many millions could die between now and September”. The UK government has a moral duty to act now to prevent this tragedy unfolding. As you yourself have stated: “No one is safe until everyone is safe”. Yours sincerely Layla Moran MP Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus Rushanara Ali MP Neale Hanvey MP Sarah Olney MP Tonia Antoniazzi MP Wera Hobhouse MP Kate Osborne MP Paula Barker MP Christine Jardine MP Kristen Oswald MP Peter Bottomley MP Kim Johnson MP Dan Poulter MP Alan Brown MP Ben Lake MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP Richard Burgon MP Ian Lavery MP Rosie Duffield MP Dawn Butler MP Chris Law MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP Ian Byrne MP Clive Lewis MP Liz Saville-Roberts MP Wendy Chamberlain MP Rebecca Long-Bailey MP Virendra Sharma MP Daisy Cooper MP Caroline Lucas MP Tommy Sheppard MP Allan Dorans MP Kenny MacAskill Jamie Stone MP Stephen Farry MP Stuart McDonald MP Richard Thomson MP Marion Fellows MP Stewart McDonald MP Jon Trickett MP Mary Foy MP John McDonnell MP Philippa Whitford MP Patricia Gibson MP Anne McLaughlin MP Mick Whitley MP Andrew Gwynne MP Ian Mearns MP Mohammad Yasin MP Claire Hanna MP Navendu Mishra MP LAYLA MORAN MP Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon www.laylamoran.com Unit C5, Grange Court, Abingdon Science Park, Barton Lane, Abingdon, OX14 3NB Lord Bishop of Carlisle Lord German Lord Ranger Baroness Hussein-Ece Lord Goddard of Stockport Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick Lord Beith Baroness Goudie Lord Roberts of Llandudno Baroness Bennett of Manor Lord Harries of Pentregarth Castle Lord Rowe-Beddoe Baroness Harris of Lord Berkeley of Knighton Richmond Baroness Royall of Blaisdon Baroness Blackstone Lord Haworth Lord Sharkey Lord Boateng Baroness Healy of Primrose Baroness Sheehan Hill Lord Bradshaw Lord Sikka Baroness Hooper Baroness Brady Lord Singh of Wimbledon Lord Hylton Baroness Brinton Baroness Smith of Baroness Jolly Newnham Baroness Brown of Cambridge Lord Jones of Cheltenham Lord Strasburger Lord Bruce of Bennachie Baroness Jones of Lord Suri Moulsecoomb Lord Campbell of Baroness Thomas of Pittenween Lord Kerr of Kinlochard Winchester Baroness Campbell of Lord Knight of Weymouth Lord Triesman Surbiton Baroness Lister of Lord Tyler Lord Carey of Clifton Burtersett Baroness Tyler of Enfield Baroness Chakrabarti Baroness Manningham- Baroness Uddin Buller Lord Chidgey Baroness Walmsley Baroness Masham of Ilton Lord Clement-Jones Baroness Watkins Of Lord McNally Baroness Cox Tavistock Lord Oates Baroness Featherstone Baroness Young of Old Lord Phillips of Worth Scone Baroness Finlay of Llandaff Matravers Lord Foster of Bath Lord Rana .