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One of the doctors who called for coronavirus vaccine to be first tested in Africa has now apologized after global backlash.

On a french local TV channel LCI, Dr Jean-Paul Mira said “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?”

Mira was discussing the rush to find anti-coronavirus vaccines with another doctor called Camille Locht, who is the research head at France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), based in Lille.

Locht replied saying “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 srsly think about that too.”

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The Paris intensive care doctor Jean-Paul Mira apologized on Friday for his comments with Paris’ clinic network, quoting him as saying “I want to present all my apologies to those who were hurt, shocked and felt insulted by the remarks I clumsily expressed.”

Global backlash

There was a huge backlash when the two doctors made the comment with African football legends including Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o leading the charge.

Drogba reacted angrily saying “It is totally inconceivable we keep on cautioning this. Africa isn’t a testing lab.

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I would like to vividly denounce those demeaning, false and most of all deeply racists words. Helps us save Africa with the current ongoing Covid 19 and flatten the curve.”

He adds that “Let us save ourselves from this crazy virus that is plummeting the world economy and ravaging populations health worldwide.

Do not take African people as human guinnea pigs! It’s absolutely disgusting…African leaders have a responsibility to protect their populations from those horrendous conspiracies.”

It is totally inconceivable we keep on cautioning this.

Africa isn’t a testing lab.

I would like to vividly denounce those demeaning, false and most of all deeply racists words. Helps us save Africa with the current ongoing Covid 19 and flatten the curve. pic.twitter.com/41GIpXaIYv — Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) April 2, 2020

Eto’o also reacted calling the doctors “assassins” as he condemns the development.

So far there is no cure for the deadly virus but scientists around the world are still working on a potential vaccine.

There are no experimental vaccines yet for usage as the world is still months behind a potential vaccine.

Globally at least one million people have been infected by the virus with over 50,000 deaths so far as at April 3, 2020.

Africa has so far recorded over 7,000 cases with over 200 deaths as at April 3, 2020. The continent is still the least affected by the pandemic.

Source: Africafeeds.com