Africa health chief says jabs helped him survive COVID-19

The head of the African Union's health watchdog John Nkengasong revealed Thursday that he was battling COVID-19 but had survived the worst thanks to his jabs, as he urged the continent to fight vaccine hesitancy.

Experts worry that reluctance to take the vaccine, stemming from public scepticism over foreign-procured jabs and fear of side effects, may prolong the pandemic in Africa, a continent of nearly 1.3 billion people. 

Nkengasong, the director of Africa Centres for Disease Control (CDC), said he had contracted the infection last week despite being fully vaccinated in April.

"The severity of the attack is so unbearable. The headaches, fever... every part of your body is affected," the Cameroonian virologist told an online press briefing, where he appeared tired.

But vaccination spared him the worst, he said, adding that without the jabs, "I wouldn't be here".

"Vaccines save lives and there is no doubt about that. Even if we have one or two reported side effects, it doesn't negate the fact that the benefit largely outweighs any secondary effects," he said.

Vaccine rollout in Africa has been punishingly slow due in part to the unavailability of jabs, with wealthy nations...