ANTANANARIVO: Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina has said he does not plan to vaccinate himself against Covid-19, preferring a herbal “remedy”, and is in no hurry to launch mass inoculations for his citizens.

“Personally I have not yet been vaccinated and I do not have any intention of getting vaccinated,” he said in a televised address late Saturday.

Rajoelina has widely boasted the virtues of a locally-brewed artemisia plant infusion to fight coronavirus.

Branded under the name Covid-Organics and known as CVO, the drink is also available in a gel form. It has not been scientifically tested. Rajoelina said he was turning to CVO “to protect myself and my family”. “The Malagasy state and I are not against the vaccine,” he said. But he said the Indian Ocean island nation was in “a phase of observing the vaccine”, saying there were “too many side-effects” to start mass vaccinations.