This archive report was first published on 7 May 2020.
Published on May 7, 2020, by Walter Jaoko, a medical microbiology professor at the University of Nairobi and director of the Kenya Aids Vaccine Initiative (KAVI) Institute of Clinical Research.
Condemnation of Covid-19 vaccine trials in Africa has been widespread, with some arguing that Africans should not be used as 'guinea pigs' and that the trials should take place in Europe and the US, which have more Covid-19 cases than Africa.
However, Prof Jaoko argues that these claims are unfounded and that Africa has a crucial role to play in the development of Covid-19 vaccines.
He points out that clinical trials for malaria and Ebola vaccines were first conducted in Europe, yet the primary beneficiaries were in Africa, and that the same could be true for Covid-19 vaccines.
Prof Jaoko also highlights the robust approval processes in place for conducting clinical trials in Africa, including the review and approval by independent ethics review committees and the Pharmacy and Poisons Board.
He also addresses concerns about the safety of the vaccines, pointing out that the vaccines being tested are made from substances that resemble the disease-causing virus, not the virus itself, and that the body produces immune responses to fight the virus.
Prof Jaoko concludes that Africa cannot be a bystander in the response to the pandemic and that the continent has a crucial role to play in the development of Covid-19 vaccines.
