World Health Organization (WHO) has called on Tanzania to follow science in the fight against the coronavirus, days after the president said the vaccine was dangerous.
“Urging #Tanzania to ramp up public health measures such as wearing masks to fight #COVID19. Science shows that #VaccinesWork and I encourage the government to prepare for a COVID vaccination campaign,” WHO’s Regional Africa Director Dr. Matshidiso Moeti said on January 28.
The sentiments followed President John Magufuli’s comments from the previous day, over the vaccines being ‘of ill purpose to Tanzanians.”
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus echoed Moeti’s comments, saying “I join @MoetiTshidi’s call for strong health measures and #COVID19 vaccine preparedness. Data-sharing by #Tanzania is also key, with cases surfacing among travelers and visitors over the months.”
President Magufuli downplayed the virus and has told the health ministry not to rush to purchase vaccines.
“There are some of our fellow Tanzanians who recently did travel abroad in search of corona vaccines, they are the ones who brought back corona in our country after returning,” Magufuli said at an event on January 27.
“My fellow Tanzanians, let us stand firm, some of these vaccines are not good for us.”
“I really urged the ministry of health to be very, very careful with all the vaccines which are imported into our country, not all vaccines are of good intentions to our nation, it is important.”
