Doctors want tetanus jab halted

Doctors on Wednesday called for a halt to the ongoing tetanus vaccination campaign until the safety of the drug being used is determined.

Kenya Medical Association chairman Elly Opot also said medical professionals should be incorporated in the committee formed to ascertain the safety of the vaccine.

“The controversy over the safety of the tetanus toxoid vaccine is causing confusion among the public and could even erode their confidence on other routine immunisation,” said Dr Opot, during a press conference at the Kenya Medical Association Centre in Nairobi.

He was with the association vice-chairlady, Dr Elizabeth Wala, and the Kenya Medical Women’s Association founder member, Dr Christine Sadia.

The row over the vaccine pits the Catholic Church, which insists it causes infertility in women, against the Ministry of Health, World Health Organisation and Unicef that have denied the claim and declared the jab safe.

On Monday, Director of Medical Services Nicholas Muraguri said, after a meeting with John Cardinal Njue of the Catholic Church in Nairobi, that the two camps had agreed to send three officials each to monitor the test to determine safety or otherwise of the vaccine.

On Wednesday, however, the two medical associations urged Dr Muraguri “to act with speed to sustain and maintain public trust and confidence”.

Dr Opot described women aged 15 to 49 years — the reproductive age — as the most vulnerable to tetanus infection.

This is because most cases are birth-related and occur among newborn babies or mothers, following unclean deliveries and poor post-natal hygiene, he said.

Dr Wala urged the Pharmacy and Poisons Board to validate the nature of the claims while Dr Sadia said the Kenya Medical Research Institute and other government quality control laboratories had the capacity to test the vaccine.

Kenya is among 25 other countries with high neonatal deaths where the global campaign which is supported by World Health Organisation and Unicef and whose strategy is to eliminate these deaths, is taking place.

The current tetanus vaccination campaign targets 16 counties.

OPPOSED TO VACCINE

Meanwhile, at least four in five Kenyans think the tetanus vaccine is not safe.

A study by Ipsos Kenya found out that perception on the tetanus Vaccine was not influenced by educational levels.

North Eastern region has the highest number of respondents opposed to the vaccine.

Previous tetanus toxoid vaccinations took place in 2003, 2006 and 2009.