France defends equal access to any vaccine as U.S. eyes its own plans

France declared on that the world’s nations would have equal access to any novel coronavirus vaccine developed by pharmaceuticals giant Sanofi, a day after the CEO suggested that Americans would likely be the first in line.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in an interview, said he hoped that any vaccine developed would be shared worldwide.

“I hope that we will all collectively find a way to produce this at high volume to get it all across the world and make sure that every citizen that needs access to a vaccine can get it as quickly as possible,” the top U.S. diplomat told Israel’s Kan 11 News during a trip there.

Scientists are rushing to find treatments and vaccines for a disease that has killed nearly 300,000 people worldwide, including more than 84,000 in the United States. Even as nations grapple with the ongoing pandemic, experts are weighing the impact any potential vaccine may have on a disease that has already laid bare the world’s inequities and power struggles.

“A vaccine against COVID-19 should be a public good for the world,” French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Thursday, adding that “equal access of all” was “non-negotiable.”

He was speaking after Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson told Bloomberg News on Wednesday: “The U.S. government has the right to the largest preorder because it’s invested in taking the risk.” He apologised on Thursday, saying it was vital that any coronavirus vaccine reach all regions.

Hudson will meet French President Emmanuel Macron next week. Macron was upset with Hudson’s earlier comments, according to an Elysee official.

Hudson has been critical of Europe’s capacity to develop and manufacture a vaccine for months. He has called for a European version of the U.S. agency that is helping Sanofi develop its vaccine.