Morocco Begins Chinese COVID-19 Vaccine Trials, Russia Vies for Influence

These tests of the anti-Covid-19 vaccine entrusted to a Chinese state laboratory will involve some 5,000 volunteers, based on the agreement between the Moroccans and the Chinese. According to Maghreb Intelligence, the Russians, who are also developing a vaccine against the Coronavirus, have approached Rabat to ask Morocco to be among the partner countries for Moscow’s clinical trials.

On this issue, the Russians do not want to lag behind China, and not only in Morocco, but also in Africa where China has been very active for several years and in several sectors. "It will be all the better for our country and we have a great interest in diversifying our partners in this matter," says a Moroccan specialist on the vaccine issue.

This means that Morocco would gain by not restricting itself to a single country for possible imports of anti-Coronavirus vaccines.