Time to put the tetanus row to rest

We seem to have an endless series of vaccination campaigns in this country.

The polio one appears repeated every other week. I met two parents the other day that had a common concern: if the tetanus vaccination is suspect, what of the polio one?

I reassured them that the Catholic Bishops have confined their reservations to the tetanus jab, and Catholic doctors and health units continue to dispense all the other vaccinations as usual.

However, this protracted row between the ministry of Health and the bishops has severely undermined confidence in vaccinations and in the process put the health of children and mothers all over the country at risk. This issue has gone unresolved for eight months.

OBJECTIONS REJECTED

The Bishops first raised concern in March but their objections were rejected by Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia who then turned down their offer to do joint testing of the vaccine.

The Bishops claimed they had irrefutable evidence that the vaccination was laced with a hormone that would leave women permanently infertile.

However, that evidence was not made available. Scientific research on such a sensitive matter needs to be presented in a professional manner that not only addresses the concerns of the public but also convinces the global health community that the tests were robust and indisputable.

That never happened and the matter was dropped until the third round of the vaccinations began last month.

Then Cardinal Njue advised Kenyans to boycott the vaccine while accusing the ministry of Health of being “incapable or unwilling” to stop the “permanent poisoning of women”.

The other day, Parliament eventually conceded ground when presented with tests from four laboratories named by the Catholic doctors.

INCURABLE DISEASE

The committee promised an independent examination of the vaccine but that must be done promptly, professionally and inclusively.

What cannot be disputed is that tetanus is an incurable disease and that 555 deaths occurred in Kenya from tetanus last year in mother to infant at childbirth which explains why women of child-bearing age were targeted in the vaccination campaign.

However, WHO and UNICEF remained silent until Wednesday when they defended the genuineness of the vaccine. One wonders why WHO would be involved in a mass sterilisation programme in Kenya, while there have been no complaints from Uganda where similar exercises have been so successful that Uganda in 2011 announced that it had completely eliminated neonatal tetanus.

But if WHO were found responsible for enforced sterilisation, the question arises as to who approved the exercise? According to Article 7 of the Rome Statute enforced sterilisation is a crime against humanity.

At this stage, however, we can only insist on a speedy, professional examination of the tetanus batch in laboratories local and international that are acceptable to all parties.

If the Bishops were wrong then they must apologise to the Kenyan public and if they are proven correct then the law must take its course. 

[email protected] @GabrielDolan1