Kenya looks for 400 Covid-19 vaccine volunteers

Researchers in Kenya are looking for 400 volunteers to take part in a clinical trial for a potential vaccine for the coronavirus developed at the University of Oxford.

The trial, which will be run by the Kemri-Wellcome Trust, will take place in the port city of Mombasa and the nearby town of Kilifi.

All volunteers must be health workers who live in one of these two areas.

The same potential vaccine, called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, is already being trialled on 1,000 volunteers in the UK.

The Kemri-Wellcome Trust will work in conjunction with the Kenyan Medical Association to look for the volunteers.

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the testing of potential vaccines in Africa following a TV interview with two French doctors in April which saw them accused of racism.

However, both the Kemri-Wellcome Trust and the Kenyan Medical Association has sought to dispel such criticism.

They say all the relevant regulatory approvals will be sought, and that it is vital to determine whether the vaccine will be suitable for the continent.

[Photo: Ted S. Warren/Associated Press]