Rage on social media after French doctors proposed coronavirus vaccine test on Africans

The hashtag, ‘AfricansAreNotLabRats’ has garnered more than 47, 000 tweets and topped Twitter trends as some people are aggressively calling for a united African front to kick against the proposal by two French doctors to use Africans as ‘lab rats’ for an alleged coronavirus vaccine.

Amidst all the fear, panic and scepticism about a viable vaccine rearing its head soon to fight the pandemic which doesn’t discriminate against any group of persons, the two doctors proposed the use of Africans for the coronavirus vaccine trials.

According to Dr Jean Paul Mira, head of Resuscitation Department at Cochin Hospital in Paris, the use of Africans for the trials could be justified because so far the continent has been unimpressive in the fight against the coronavirus.

He is quoted to have said in a viral TV debate sighted by GhanaWeb, “If I can be provocative, shouldn’t we do this study in Africa? Where there are no masks, no treatment, no reanimation, a little bit as is done in some AIDS studies where they used prostitutes to test somethings because they know they are highly exposed and they don’t protect themselves…”

“What do you think?” a question he directed to his colleague, Dr Camille Locht who in turn, responded in the affirmative.

He said, “You are right, we are thinking of a parallel study in Africa to use this same kind of approach with the BCG Placebos. I think there is a request for a proposal, I don’t know if it is out yet or not and we will in fact think seriously about that too…”

The interview which was translated to English has been heavily lampooned by several Africans who have not been hesitant to label the utterances by the doctors as ‘racist and unfair.’

“We were here tweeting I stand with Paris blah blah blah when we could have “stood” with African countries going through worst things. Now the same people we stood by want to use us as guinea pigs. When are we going to learn!...,” one of the several tweets read.

Another questioned the rationale behind the motive, “It makes no sense to start testing vaccines in a continent with just 7k+ cases, leaving behind their countries. Africa is not a lab and we are not Guinea pigs! Let them test their vaccines there. Sadly, our leaders are dumb enough to allow them. #AfricansAreNotLabRats”

Below are more reactions from Twitter;

It makes no sense to start testing vaccines in a continent with just 7k+ cases, leaving behind their countries. Africa is not a lab and we are not Guinea pigs! Let them test their vaccines there. Sadly, our leaders are dumb enough to allow them.#AfricansAreNotLabRats

— Dennis Kiplimo™ ???????????????? (@_ItsShark) April 4, 2020

They will creat a v!rus & sell antidotes. Thereafter, they will pretend to take time to find a solution when they already have it. Let's stand as africa and protect our continent. WHO, Ch!na & other european countris should know that #AfricansAreNotLabRats pic.twitter.com/LSg1KzPbh9

— MARIGIRI???????? (@Dmarigiri_) April 4, 2020

In the last 24 hours France has recorded more than 1,000 deaths. Yet their doctors think that they should test their vaccines on Africans?#AfricansAreNotLabRats pic.twitter.com/mRGaJsFio9

— Victor Mochere (@VictorMochere) April 4, 2020

Dear President Macron,

Racist French covid19 scientists think that black bodies and black lives are meant for experimentation? That is what Adolf Hitler did with Jews and foreigners in Germany. Shame on France????.@EmmanuelMacron #AfricansAreNotGuineaPigs #AfricansAreNotLabRats pic.twitter.com/vy4lw5r3WJ

— Dr. John Njenga Karugia, PhD (@johnnjenga) April 4, 2020

ITALY ---13950 Deaths
China ---3314 Deaths
Spain --- 10,935 Deaths
USA --- 6,099 Deaths
AFRICA(Whole continent) -- 23
Why start vaccination in Africa??
Pls do the test in Italy China, Spain e.t.c#AfricansAreNotLabRats pic.twitter.com/gv6kUuWelk

— GoingHigher (@ajayibenmi) April 4, 2020

I have a Name, Bravin. I'm a Human Being. I am a Homo sapien sapien. I am not a Guinea Pig. I am not a Lab Rat. Being African doesn't make me a Lesser Human. It makes me a Better Human Being. I say NO to Vaccine Testing In Africa.#AfricansAreNotLabRats #AfricansAreNotGuineaPigs

— BRAVIN YURI (@BravinYuri) April 4, 2020

Let's be bold and say no to racial degradation & Racial bias! This is very insane to consider Africa as animals that's are inferior! Why wouldn't those France doctors carry out their Vaccine test on their fellow and rush to Africa! Wtf is that???????????? #AfricansAreNotLabRats
???? pic.twitter.com/KYoQ1qOofV

— BRIAN MOGENI???????? (@brian_mogeni) April 4, 2020

The #coronavirus originated from China and has killed more than 60,000 Chinese, Italians, Spaniards, Americans, French and British citizens. #COVID2019 has killed less than 500 Africans. Conduct your #COVID19 vaccine tests in Asia, Europe or America. #AfricansAreNotLabRats

— Dr. Miguna Miguna (@MigunaMiguna) April 4, 2020

It’s very sad to realize that African people will always be seen as lab rats and test subjects for the 1st world countries
#AfricansAreNotLabRats

— POETIC T-ZEE (@TZEEBOY) April 4, 2020

In this perilous times of the pandemic, some racist and feeble minded doctors in France believe the cure for the virus should first be tested in Africa.Can you imagine

Why not test it on yourself's and your people suffering from this catastrophe the most.#AfricansAreNotLabRats pic.twitter.com/BchbzBuytH

— UMEM ™ (@umemPeterr) April 4, 2020