ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe. Picture: Gallo Images/Netwerk24/Jaco Marais
A world-renowned scientist has countered the view of African Christian Democratic Party leader Rev Kenneth Meshoe, who is adamant vaccines are an experiment that should not be used on humans.
Dr Ernest Darkoh, who is founding partner of the BroadReach Group, disagreed with Meshoe’s view. Darkoh said the underlying technologies used in these vaccines were investigated and tested for decades in animals before they were ever tried in humans.
“In proper scientific drug development, there are absolutely no situations where any substances are first tested on humans,” Darkoh said.
In an interview with Saturday Citizen, Meshoe vehemently denied that he was an anti-vaxxer.
“I grew up in a family where we did not believe in vaccines. As we grew up, my father taught us medication or normal remedies would end flu,” Meshoe said.
Meshoe, who was among the first politicians in South Africa to contract the virus along with his wife, said government initially informed them that the Covid vaccines were experimental.
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He said they were surprised when they were being administered to humans. He insisted the jab should have been tested on animals first until it was safe for humans.
“I don’t want to be part of an experiment. They took years to experiment or test vaccines for polio and other diseases and the experiments were done on animals. Why is this one being given to humans?” he said.
Darkoh said all medicines start with chemical and molecular studies, then extensive animal trials. Only then do they finally move to human trials.
“The human trials are extensive to establish the safety and effectiveness of those candidates being studied. The successful candidates are then put forward to the regulatory bodies like the FDA for approval. The data is then vetted by independent experts who validate that it is indeed true and correct. Only then is a medicine approved for human use,” Darkoh said.
Meshoe questioned the Chinese Sinovac vaccine which, he said, was being experimentally given to poor black kids, but not children from China.
“Politicians must bring their children and grandchildren and not use the poorest of the poor.
“Why was this experiment not done on Chinese children, why the African child?” Meshoe said.
He criticised the government for not promoting immune boosters such as vitamins.
– ericn@citizen.co.za