“The debate has reignited decades-old tensions in global health, pitting such influential figures as Pope Francis, who backs the patent-waiver proposal, against philanthropist Bill Gates, who’s opposed. It has also challenged U.S. officials who have prioritized this nation’s coronavirus response but know that the virus’s continued spread and mutation overseas will eventually pose risks to Americans.” WaPo: White House is split over how to vaccinate the world.

+ “The only realistic way to accelerate vaccination elsewhere in the world is to expand vaccine manufacturing, and it turns out that the U.S. has a unique ability to make this happen.” Tom Frieden and Marine Buissonnière: The U.S. Has the Power to Tamp Down Coronavirus Variants — If We’re Willing to Use It. (This is about ethics and self-preservation and economics. But it’s also about diplomacy. We’ve lost a ton of world leadership credibility during the 21st century. This is a chance to win some of it back.)