UK refuses to sign global vaccine treaty, The Telegraph reports

FILE PHOTO: Syringes with doses of the COVID-19 booster vaccine are seen amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, at Smallthorne Community Centre in Stoke-on-Trent, Britain, December 15, 2021. REUTERS/Carl Recine/File Photo

(Reuters) - Britain is refusing to sign the World Health Organization's (WHO) pandemic accord because the country says it would have to give away a fifth of its vaccines, the Telegraph reported on Wednesday.

According to a draft of the pandemic accord being negotiated at the WHO, richer countries should be asked to pull their weight in helping the world cope with pandemics, including reserving 20% of tests, treatments and vaccines for the WHO to distribute in poorer countries during emergencies.