Catholics say vaccine is for birth control

What you need to know:

  • The cleric further questioned why the women targeted were at their most reproductive age.

A religious leader has opposed the tetanus vaccine campaign, claiming it is a family planning injection.

The Catholic Health Commission accused the government of “trying to inject women between the ages of 19 to 49 with family planning drugs”.

Commission chairman, the Reverend Paul Njiru, said there was limited information given to the public about the tetanus vaccination drive.

He questioned whether there was a tetanus crisis that required the drive.

The cleric further questioned why the women targeted were at their most reproductive age.

TETANUS CRISIS

The priest was addressing the press at St Patrick’s Pastoral Centre in Kabula, Bungoma Count. The tetanus vaccine drive is from October 13 to October 19 countrywide.

The Rev Njiru said the government had not given out full information on the tetanus toxoid vaccine which, he claimed, is laced with Beta Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, which is not in use in developed countries.

Commission vice-chairman Joseph Mbatia said the same compound in the vaccine had been used in Philippines and Mexico as a drug to prevent pregnancy.

The Rev Mbatia claimed the drug causes a woman’s fertilised eggs to be destroyed by anti-bodies.

A health official, Mr Abraham Situma, said that if the vaccine has the said compounds, then it could be dangerous to the maternal health.