‘Nothing to worry about’: Madagascar spurns Covid-19 vaccines in favour of herbal ‘remedy’
- President Andry Rajoelina has widely boasted the virtues of a locally brewed plant infusion to fight coronavirus. It has not been scientifically tested
- He said the Indian Ocean island nation was in ‘a phase of observing the vaccine’, saying there were ‘too many side-effects’ to start mass vaccinations
Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has said he does not plan to vaccinate himself against Covid-19, preferring a herbal “remedy”, and is in no hurry to launch mass inoculations for his citizens.
“Personally I have not yet been vaccinated and I do not have any intention of getting vaccinated,” he said in a televised address late on Saturday.
Rajoelina has widely boasted the virtues of a locally brewed artemisia plant infusion to fight coronavirus. Branded under the name Covid-Organics and known as CVO, the drink is also available in a gel form. It has not been scientifically tested.
Rajoelina said he was turning to CVO “to protect myself and my family”. “The Malagasy state and I are not against the vaccine,” he said.
But he said the Indian Ocean island nation was in “a phase of observing the vaccine”, saying there were “too many side-effects” to start mass vaccinations.
Rajoelina did not specify which side-effects he was talking about. Common side-effects of the available vaccines include short-lived tiredness and headaches.