Outrage Trail French Doctors for Suggesting to Test COVID-19 Vaccine First in African Countries

Two French doctors, Jean Paul Mira and Camille Locht have sparked outrage after they were caught on television discussing “Africa as best destination to conduct test for COVID-19 vaccine”. 

In a viral video clip shared on social media on Thursday, the two medical experts cited the use of prostitutes in Africa to carry out test vaccine for the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) as an instance.

Head of the resuscitation department at Cochin Hospital, Mira also pointed out that the continent should be considered because of its perceived toughness to disease outbreaks.

“If I can be provocative, shouldn’t we do this study in Africa, where there are no masks, no treatment, no resuscitation, a bit like it has been done in some studies in AIDS, where among prostitutes, we try things, because they are exposed, and they don’t protect themselves, what do you think?” he asked.

Corroborating with him, Locht, a research director at Inserm, said a similar approach could be adopted as ongoing search for the COVID-19 vaccine intensifies across the globe.

“So you are right […] we’re thinking in parallel to a study in Africa precisely to make this same type of approach w/ BCG [vaccine] placebo, I think there is a call for tenders that was released or that will be released & I think we will indeed seriously think about that too,” he said.

Juliet Ekwebelam