BBC journalist slammed by Kenyans over comments on Covid-19 vaccine trials

Kenyans have slammed BBC journalist, Fergus Walsh for suggesting Kenya could be a corona virus vaccine trial centre if tests in United Kingdom (UK) do not get the expected results.

According to the journalist, Oxford University that has come up with the vaccine wants to try the vaccine in Kenya if the first trial in the UK do not produce the expected results.

“… which has done well in clinical trials, they’ve also developed vaccines against plague, malaria (now) if they don’t get early quick results from the UK they are considering a trial in Kenya where the epidemic of the coronavirus will be on the rise,” he said

This did not please other Kenyans on twitter who have asked the journalist if the Kenyans are his pigs.

The French medics just mentioned Africa as a potential testing ground. Now a senior @BBCWorld journalist @BBCFergusWalsh thinks that Kenya should be a testing ground.

We are his guinea pigs. Idiot!! pic.twitter.com/vtkZkBV39c

— Robert ALAI, HSC (@RobertAlai) April 24, 2020

The latest development evokes a similar outrage that accompanied a suggestion by two French scientists that a vaccine trial should start from Africa given the lack of facilities and health support system.

The WHO chief in responding to the topic slammed the scientists for what he said were racist remarks that smugged of a hangover from colonialism. Most Africans tasked their governments to not accept any such trials.

Kenya has recorded 320 corona virus cases with 17 deaths and 89 recoveries.