Brazilian President Javier Bolsonaro has snubbed China by saying, “The Brazilian people will not be anyone’s guinea pig ... That is why I have decided not to purchase this vaccine.”
South African vaccine trials are under way as part of an international effort, while some on the continent are mistrusting of scientific developments because of an interview on French TV that went horribly wrong.
Vaccines do not happen in a vacuum. This podcast explores how the French interview is an example of a sociopolitical moment that threatens to derail a huge global effort in urgent health care.
It also explores the power imbalances during colonialism in the early 19th century in Africa and how that context is a brutal example of how not to test drugs.
Here is what you need to know: