Tanzania Says It Has No Interest In Covid Vaccine, Asks Citizens To Pray In Mosques, Churches Against 'Satanic' Virus

The Tanzanian government has announced that it has no interest in acquiring Covid-19 vaccines. Earlier its President John Magufuli had rejected Covid-19 lockdowns and social distancing measures and instead asked Tanzanians to pray against the 'satanic virus' in the nation's mosque and churches, Wall Street Journal has reported.

In May of last year Tanzania had stopped reporting its Covid-19 cases to the WHO while claiming that it has conquered the virus and positive diagnostic on the test kits were a result of faulty machines.

"We are not yet satisfied that those vaccines have been clinically proven safe", Tanzanian Health Minister Dorothy Gwajima said while announcing that the country will also not be accepting free Covid-19 vaccines.

Gwajima instead has asked the citizens to stick to traditional herbal remedies along with regular steam inhalation and hand washing.

President Magufuli too has doubled down on the anti-vaccine stance by alleging that his country will not become a guinea pig for western vaccine makers.

"Those vaccines don’t work; they are not good...Tanzanians should be careful with these imported things", Magufuli has been quoted as saying.

Despite Tanzania's lofty claims of "conquering the virus" its neighbours Ugandan and Zambian have said that a lot of Tanzanians have been found to be Covid-19 positive during border checks. Even nations like Denmark have detected Covid-19 positive Tanzanians.