Following the US announcing that it will support waving Covid-19 vaccine patents – Germany has voiced strong opposition to the proposal.

The surprising move comes as Germany’s government says “the protection of intellectual property is a source of innovation and must remain so”.

The European Union has expressed its readiness to consider the proposal, with a number of other member states throwing their support behind the initiative.

India and South Africa are the two nations who initially pushed for patents to be waved – and now the World Trade Organisation and 60 other countries are also on board.

The thinking behind the proposal is that it would allow developing countries to get more vaccine doses out to their citizens, faster.

Former US President Donald Trump was staunchly opposed to the idea, but Biden has thrown his support behind it which has encouraged other leaders to do the same.