A publication circulating on WhatsApp groups claims that forty-six researchers will visit 24 African countries to test a vaccine called BCG. The author of this widely shared information warns Africans not to get vaccinated, even for money, as the side effects of this new vaccine are unknown. However, this claim lacks any scientific basis.
The first mention of this information appeared on April 21, 2020, on the Facebook page of Afrique Grandes Gueules and has sparked reactions. One respondent refutes the claim: “In Europe, specifically France, all children are vaccinated with the BCG vaccine, and it is mandatory. Fake news again…”
On various WhatsApp groups, many are questioning why these researchers chose Africa, including the Central African Republic (CAR), for testing this new BCG vaccine.
The Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is used to protect infants and children from severe forms of tuberculosis. Discovered in 1921, the tuberculosis vaccine is mandatory for newborns.
What is the reality?
Verification:
An article circulating on WhatsApp groups in the CAR claims that around forty researchers will go to Africa to test the BCG vaccine. According to the post, Dr. Zeikou Aminata, based in Moselle, France, urges Africans not to get vaccinated because the side effects are severe.
According to AFC’s verification following the post’s announcement on Monday, July 25, 2022, this is false information because the BCG vaccine was discovered in 1921.
Detailed Verification:
According to Augustin Dibert, a health advisor at the World Health Organization (WHO) office in Bangui, “This is false information aimed at manipulating public opinion. BCG vaccines are generally administered to protect newborns against tuberculosis, but the WHO also highlights its importance in preventing severe diseases in children.”
Augustin Dibert also notes, “No researchers are currently in Africa or the CAR. If there were, the WHO Tuberculosis Research Office would have informed us. We have no reports from the WHO confirming this information. However, the vaccine is no longer mandatory but remains recommended for certain children.”
Dr. Saint Alban Walter Lemotomo, head of logistics at the Directorate of Vaccination Prevention at the Ministry of Public Health and Population, states, “The ministry has not received any reports about these researchers arriving in the CAR. If it were the case, the WHO would have informed the health ministries of the 24 African countries, including the CAR. However, the BCG vaccine has been approved by the WHO for several years. It aims to protect newborns from severe forms of tuberculosis.”
Further research led us to the official site of The Global Fund, which indicates that about a quarter of the global population suffers from latent tuberculosis, but only 5 to 15% develop symptoms of active tuberculosis. In total, over 4.7 million people with tuberculosis were treated in 2020 worldwide.
This information has been circulating for years on social media. The goal is to manipulate public opinion about the BCG vaccine.
Be cautious of information that may mislead you. Follow the instructions provided by health authorities, as the CAR remains one of the countries with a high tuberculosis burden, with an incidence rate of 540 per 100,000 inhabitants and a mortality rate of 61 per 100,000 inhabitants. According to the latest studies from the National Library of Medicine, drug-resistant tuberculosis accounts for 4.1% of new cases and 25.2% of previously treated cases.
By Britney Line Ngalingbo / AFC
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