Tanzanian President John Magufuli has raised doubts over the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines, reported Africa News. He warned his health ministry against rushing to adopt COVID-19 vaccines.
During a speech in his hometown of Chato on Wednesday, Magufuli cast doubt on the global urge to develop the Covid-19 vaccine.
“You should stand firm,” the Tanzanian president said warning that, “Vaccinations are dangerous.”
He claimed that nothing much has been done yet to help cure other diseases like HIV-Aids, malaria, tuberculosis, cancer among other infections.
“If white people were able to come up with vaccinations, a vaccination for AIDS would have been found, a vaccination for tuberculosis could have eliminated it by now; a Malaria vaccine would have been found; a vaccination for cancer would have been found by now,” Magufuli said.
The president also urged the Ministry of Health to be cautious with vaccines developed and promoted by foreign companies and countries. He directed the ministry to adopt a vaccine only after it is certified by Tanzanian experts. He said Tanzanians must not be used as guinea pigs in vaccine trials.
Magufuli told people that they should continue to put their trust in God, saying that they “have lived for over one year without the virus because our God is able, and Satan will always fail.”
The Tanzanian president offered no evidence to support his doubts about the safety of vaccinations, which are being administered across more than 50 countries.
Notably, the current state of the coronavirus in Tanzania remains unknown as the president has declared the country to be COVID-free. The health authorities have also stopped keeping a track of coronavirus infections or deaths in the country.
Magufuli has ordered officials to promote herbs to remedy COVID-19 symptoms.
According to World Health Organization data, Tanzania has reported 509 COVID-19 infections and 21 deaths in total.
