Medical Correspondent for the BBC Mr Fergus Walsh with a Covid-19 vaccine developed in UK. [PHOTO/ COURTESY]

On April 10, a discussion in a French TV suggested that tests for Covid-19 vaccines should be done in Africa, “where there is no treatment, no masks and no intensive care”.

The sentiments were uttered by Jean-Paul Mira, head of intensive medicine and the intensive care unit at Paris’ Cochin hospital.

“If I can be provocative, shouldn’t this study be done in Africa, where there are no masks, no treatment, no intensive care, a bit like it is done in some studies on AIDS or among prostitutes. We try things because we know they [sex workers] are highly exposed and they don’t protect themselves. What do you think about that?” said Dr Mira.

The sentiments brewed a storm online, but two weeks since they were uttered, a BBC journalist has repeated the same, this time being specific for Kenya.

According to Medical Correspondent for the BBC Mr Fergus Walsh, a vaccine for Covid-19 has already been developed in the UK, and Kenya is one of the first places where it is being tested.

 

 

“If they do not get quick results in the UK, they are considering a trial in Kenya where the epidemic of coronavirus is on the rise. This vaccine is known to produce a strong antibody response but that doesn’t necessarily equate to protection. We are going to need many vaccines, there are dozens in development so then we will need billions of doses and expect a huge debate over which countries and which groups of people get the vaccine first,” he said