Jump to content * News * Business * Sport * Opinion * Politics * World * Money * Life * Style * Travel * Culture Subscribe now Free for one month Log in See all News * UK news + UK news home + Scotland + Wales + Northern Ireland * Coronavirus + Coronavirus home + You Are Not Alone + Live tracker + Coronavirus newsletter + Good News newsletter + Podcast * Royals + Royals home + The Queen + Prince Philip + Prince Charles + Duchess of Cornwall + Prince William + Duchess of Cambridge + Prince Harry + Duchess of Sussex + More... * Health * Defence * Science * Education * Environment * Investigations + Investigations home + Signals Network + Contact us * Global Health Security + Global Health Security home + Climate & People + Science & Disease + Terror & Security + Women & Girls + Opinion & Analysis Flourishing anti-vax movement threatens to derail immunisation campaigns in Africa The continent has traditionally been pro-vaccination but false claims - often pushed by prominent politicians - are gaining traction By Anna Pujol-Mazzini 23 February 2021 • 8:00am A South African health worker receives a shot of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine (BUTTON) A South African health worker receives a shot of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine Credit: Phill Magakoe/AFP Fake news and conspiracy theories about Covid-19 vaccines are flourishing in Africa as a second wave of infections hits the continent hard and immunisation campaigns struggle to take off. Fake news circulating on social media include claims that two children died in Guinea after being vaccinated against Covid-19; an Indian company supplied South Africa with an ineffective Covid-19 vaccine that was near its expiry date; and former US president Barack Obama warned Africans not to get vaccinated. Health officials across Africa are concerned this "infodemic" could further complicate lagging vaccine campaigns on a continent that has historically been pro-vaccines. "It is a huge concern and something that needs to be very strongly addressed so people understand the facts," Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the World Health Organization's director for Africa, told reporters earlier this month. "In general, people have been positive about their children getting vaccinated. It is only recently that anti-vaccine sentiment initiatives have started to land here." A global survey by the health charity Wellcome in 2019 showed that Africa had a greater trust in vaccines than any other continent, with nearly 90 per cent of respondents agreeing that vaccines are safe and effective. But confidence in Covid-19 vaccines, like in other parts of the world, has been much lower due to misinformation around the disease and concerns over the record pace of vaccine development. And some of these false claims have been propagated by African leaders. Tanzanian president John Magufuli declared the country coronavirus-free last year and his government has gone against WHO advice and scientific consensus to reject mask-wearing and social distancing. Mr Magufuli has also warned that Covid-19 vaccines could be harmful and has encouraged the use of unproven remedies such as steam inhalers and herbal medicine. "Vaccines are not good. If they were, then the white man would have brought vaccines for HIV/AIDS," Mr Magufuli said last month. However, he has since acknowledged that Tanzania is being hit by coronavirus after a high-profile politician died of the virus. Madagascan president, Andry Rajoelina, has also promoted an untested herbal remedy for Covid-19. However, many countries are charting a different course and are including information campaigns in their vaccination strategies, the WHO told the Telegraph. Health ministers in Malawi and Rwanda have stressed the importance of informing communities about vaccines as part of their upcoming immunisation campaigns. Rwanda's health minister said he would be happy to get the first shot to ease concerns, and Guinea's president Alpha Conde posted a recording of himself getting the jab. Ethiopia has already launched a vaccine information campaign. "Public awareness is important because there is so much negative propaganda especially on social media. It is very important for us to sensitise our people and to ensure people the vaccine is safe for them," said Malawi's health minister, Khumbize Kandondo Chiponda. To counter the infodemic, fact-checking groups have worked around the clock to disprove false claims. Journalists at organisations such as AfricaCheck and French news agency AFP, who have had fact-checking teams on the continent for years, have focused on coronavirus disinformation. They report debunking more than 1,000 misleading reports about the virus since the start of the pandemic, including anti-vaccine messages. Last month the African Alliance in South Africa filed a complaint against the country's top judge, Mogoeng Mogoeng, for claiming coronavirus vaccines were unsafe and the “work of the devil”. "The real danger is that statements such as Mogoeng's decrease the public trust in vaccines, and that hurts all of us," said African Alliance head Tian Johnson. "What public officials say matters. When what they say puts lives at risk and spreads dangerous lies about vaccines, we will hold them to account," they added. A year after the first case of coronavirus was reported in Africa, new, more contagious variants have fuelled a rapid rise in cases and sparked concern over the slow roll out of vaccines as richer nations stockpile doses. Cases have skyrocketed, particularly in southern Africa. It is too early to tell what impact these messages will have on vaccination campaigns, which have yet begun in most of sub-Saharan Africa. "The rhetoric around the safety of Covid-19 vaccines has done a lot of damage, we need to be honest on that," said Richard Mihigo, coordinator for the immunisation and vaccine development programme at WHO Africa. "It's a bit early to tell what will be the impact, however in a few countries that have started vaccination, the preliminary information we are getting is that people are lining up to get the vaccines which is a good surprise," he said. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Related Topics * Africa, * Vaccines, * Tanzania, * Coronavirus * * * * Advertisement More stories Related Topics * Africa, * Vaccines, * Tanzania, * Coronavirus * * * * (BUTTON) Save More from Global Health Security * ‘If I could go back, I’d have the vaccine – Covid is an invisible enemy’ By 2 Jan 2022, 8:00am Christopher Burnett who was hospitalised with COVID and spent 33 days in an induced coma, including 6 days receiving ECMO treatment * Frightening new Covid data shows Boris Johnson’s omicron gamble may be about to implode By Paul Nuki 1 Jan 2022, 5:37pm Prof Chris Whitty warned on Saturday: 'The wave is rising and hospital admissions are going up' * Covid latest news: UK infections soar to record 2.3m in run-up to Christmas By Ewan Somerville 31 Dec 2021, 5:25pm Covid infections and the number of people taking tests are at record levels * Omicron could overwhelm Indian hospitals within weeks, doctors warn By Joe Wallen 31 Dec 2021, 3:18pm ndian laborers install beds at a makeshift COVID-19 care center with 1200 beds in Mumbai, India * Hospital Covid admissions from omicron could exceed second wave, study suggests By Paul Nuki 30 Dec 2021, 9:39pm A new study has suggested UK hospitalisations could exceed the numbers seen at the peak of the second Covid-19 wave * Fears that patients are staying away from NHS as A&E attendance falls By Paul Nuki 30 Dec 2021, 8:08pm A&E attendance is down by 20 per cent More from The Telegraph Back to top Follow us on: * * * * * * * Contact us * About us * Telegraph Extra * Reader Prints * Branded Content * Syndication and Commissioning * Guidelines * Privacy * Terms and Conditions * Advertising Terms * Fantasy Sport * UK Voucher Codes * Betting Offers * Modern Slavery * Tax Strategy © Telegraph Media Group Limited 2021 Please support us by disabling your adblocker We've noticed you're adblocking. 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