Covid-19: Tanzania President Claims Foreign Vaccines ‘Not Good’

Tanzania’s President, John Magufuli, has revealed his doubts about the efficacy of covid-19 vaccines from foreign countries.

But the World Health Organization has insisted that vaccination was a major way to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

However, on Wednesday, Magufuli told the country on television that he had mandated the country’s ministry of health to vet the vaccines before approving it for use.

“Vaccines are not good and if they were good, whites would have brought even HIV/AIDS vaccine,” he said, as quoted by Reuters.

But Magufuli was also quoted by the local media in his country to have said “You should stand firm. Vaccinations are dangerous. If the White man was able to come up with vaccinations, he should have found a vaccination for Aids by now; he would have found a vaccination of tuberculosis by now; he would have found a vaccination for malaria by now; he would have found a vaccination for cancer by now.

“Let’s not think that they love us very much. This country is rich. Africa is rich, and everyone is jealous of our vast wealth. We must be very careful,” President Magufuli was quoted by The Citizen News.

The East African country has one of the lowest reported covid-19 cases and deaths, globally.

Latest worldometer data captured that 509 cases, 21 deaths and 183 recoveries have been registered in the country.

Magufuli’s views run contrary to that of the WHO which had already okayed covid-19 vaccines from Pfizer Incorporated as well as Moderna.

WHO Director General, Tedros Adhanom, further emphasized on Wednesday that countries must cooperate with all the public health advisory on covid-19.

He also warned governments against misleading the public about the reality of the virus.

“All partners must live up to the promises they have made and do everything possible to increase volumes of approved COVID19 vaccines, including through increased production, technology transfer, and licensing.

“Parliaments have a critical role to play, in both advocacy and community engagement, in keeping government accountable, in countering misinformation, and in allocating adequate budget for policy priorities. We must ACT together to end covid-19!,” he said.