“The vaccine has just arrived Nigeria airport few hours ago from China,” says a Facebook post from 7 April 2020.
The post includes four photos of large plastic-wrapped bundles being offloaded from a plane. The bundles have “China Aid” written on them.
The post claims the bundles include Covid-19 vaccines that will be distributed to Nigerians for free.
“Please send this information to our lovely ones at home advise them to stay away from this deadly materials,” the post says.
Has the Chinese government sent Covid-19 vaccines to Nigeria? We checked.
A Google reverse image search reveals that the photos were taken at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana on 6 April for China’s Xinhua News Agency.
They appear in a Xinhua article that says the bundles contain medical supplies sent from the Chinese government to 18 African countries, including Ghana and Nigeria.
According to the Chinese embassy in Ghana, the Chinese government donated medical personal protective equipment, such as N95 face masks, medical protective suits, goggles, gloves and equipment like exergen temporal artery thermometers.
“During this tough time, medical items are in short supply because of great demand. Like masks and medical use protective suits, they are not available in the market,” Chinese ambassador Shi Ting Wang said in a handover address.
The supplies did not include vaccines.
According to the World Health Organization, there is currently no vaccine to prevent Covid-19, although clinical trials are underway in a number of different countries.
The US, UK, and China have announced that they have begun the first phase in clinical trials for a Covid-19 vaccine. – Naledi Mashishi
The post includes four photos of large plastic-wrapped bundles being offloaded from a plane. The bundles have “China Aid” written on them.
The post claims the bundles include Covid-19 vaccines that will be distributed to Nigerians for free.
“Please send this information to our lovely ones at home advise them to stay away from this deadly materials,” the post says.
Has the Chinese government sent Covid-19 vaccines to Nigeria? We checked.
Photos from Accra, Ghana
A Google reverse image search reveals that the photos were taken at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana on 6 April for China’s Xinhua News Agency.
They appear in a Xinhua article that says the bundles contain medical supplies sent from the Chinese government to 18 African countries, including Ghana and Nigeria.
According to the Chinese embassy in Ghana, the Chinese government donated medical personal protective equipment, such as N95 face masks, medical protective suits, goggles, gloves and equipment like exergen temporal artery thermometers.
“During this tough time, medical items are in short supply because of great demand. Like masks and medical use protective suits, they are not available in the market,” Chinese ambassador Shi Ting Wang said in a handover address.
The supplies did not include vaccines.
No Covid-19 vaccine currently exists, but trials underway
According to the World Health Organization, there is currently no vaccine to prevent Covid-19, although clinical trials are underway in a number of different countries.
The US, UK, and China have announced that they have begun the first phase in clinical trials for a Covid-19 vaccine. – Naledi Mashishi
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