Two French doctors are facing a backlash after suggesting that a vaccine for the coronavirus should be tested on poor Africans.
During an interview with on LCI, Dr. Jean-Paul Mira, head of intensive care at Cochin Hospital in Paris, responded to a question about coronavirus vaccine testing ideas.
“Shouldn’t we be doing this study in Africa, where there are no masks, no treatments, no resuscitation,” Mira suggested. “A bit like as it is done elsewhere for some studies on AIDS. In prostitutes, we try things because we know that they are highly exposed and that they do not protect themselves.”
Earlier in the conversation, Mira claims that vaccine testing would not be adequate in Europe because those citizens have access to personal protective equipment, guarding them against the contagion.
Dr. Camille Locht agreed with Mira by saying, “You are right, we are in the process of thinking about a study in parallel in Africa.”
The interview eventually went viral and caused a backlash around the world.
Over 7,000 coronavirus cases and 290 deaths have been confirmed in Africa — though there are concerns many more have been infected.
