By Our Correspondent, Nairobi KENYA
Kenya President, Uhuru Kenyatta, has dismissed reports claiming that scientists from the United Kingdom are considering testing a vaccine for the coronavirus in Kenya.
Kenyatta made the
remarks after BBC’s Medical Correspondent Fergus Walsh said during an
interview that a team of scientists from Oxford University were working on a
coronavirus vaccine which will be tried in Kenya if they don’t get early quick
results in the U.K.
“… the team in
Oxford have developed a successful prototype against another type of
coronavirus; MERS, and they have also developed vaccines against malaria,” he
said.
“If they don’t get
early quick results in the UK they are considering a trial in Kenya where the
epidemic of coronavirus will be on the rise…”
The remarks by the
BBC correspondent triggered massive reactions from Kenyans who demanded that
the government addresses that matter.
In a State address
on Saturday, President Kenyatta termed the remarks as absolutely false.
“Some people were
saying in interview that there is a research going on that will have
Kenyans used as guinea pigs for a vaccine. Those claims are absolutely false,”
said Kenyatta.
The Head of State
said the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and the Institute of Primate
Research (IPR) are working on finding a vaccine, adding that Kenyans would be
publicly informed before any such tests are done.
“Our institutions
specifically like Kemri and the Institute of Primate Research (IPR) and others
are inclined in the global effort to try and find a vaccine. And once we have
found one and reach an area where these vaccines can be tested on humans we
shall keep you informed and nothing shall be done in the dark,” said Kenyatta.
“I appeal to those
passing on unverified information do not cause panic and anxiety among your
fellow Kenyans.”
As of Saturday,
April 25, there were 343 coronavirus cases in Kenya, 98 recoveries and 14
deaths from the COVID-19 disease.
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