As much of the vaccinated world returns to a semblance of normalcy, and in a move dripping with irony, Moderna—makers of one of the most successful preventive COVID-19 vaccines—announced via its proxy statement this week that it will host its 2022 Annual General Meeting virtually.

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On August 31, 2021 in Cambridge, MA, vaccine equity advocates protest Moderna and its billionaire CEO Stéphane Bancel over the company's unwillingness to share its COVID-19 vaccines and technology with resource-poor countries around the globe. (Photo: Business Wire)

Moderna’s AGM is set for Thursday, April 28, 2022, at 8:00 am ET. By hosting the meeting virtually, rather than with shareholders and guests present in person, Moderna strikes another blow against transparency and accountability, effectively shutting down any meaningful public shareholder comment with a likely webinar format completely controlled and manipulated by the company.

AHF asserts that Moderna now joins a rogues' gallery of private companies and government bodies that are too cowardly or manipulative to face their publics publicly as many other businesses, schools, restaurants, nightclubs and other public spaces have moved to relax COVID restrictions.

“It’s abundantly clear billionaire CEO Stéphane Bancel is dodging Moderna shareholders and the public by holding a virtual AGM,” said AHF President Michael Weinstein. “Bancel and Moderna want to head off as much public discussion of Oxfam’s shareholder resolution on vaccine equity that would push Moderna to share the technology behind its COVID-19 vaccine. The pandemic still is raging in many places around the globe and people in resource-poor countries worldwide deserve access to these lifesaving shots. Bancel and Moderna should at least be stand up enough to have a truly public discussion about it and try and defend and explain their greed.”

In addition to the trend toward continuing virtual meetings by businesses, both the Los Angeles City Council and the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors refuse to return to in-person council and supervisors’ meetings with public attendance despite the fact that under Los Angeles government and public health guidelines, children as young as elementary school may now return to class without wearing masks in L.A. In January, 2022, NBC Los Angeles reported, “Meetings were held virtually twice a week from March 2020 until June 15, 2021, when the City Council resumed in-person meetings, although members of the public continued participating virtually.” Now, both government bodies continue to meet virtually.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.7 million people in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare and Instagram: @aidshealthcare.

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In a move dripping with irony, Moderna—makers of one of the most successful preventive COVID 19 vaccines—announced via its proxy statement this week that it will host its 2022 AGM virtually, thus dodging shareholders upset about global vaccine equity.