Vaccination saga continues to confuse

The Ministry of Health has just completed its mass measles-rubella vaccination campaign targeting children up to 14 years of age. By all accounts, their target of reaching 19 million children was reached. Our parish health clinic was one of the hosting units as I confess to having disregarded the advice of the Catholic Health Commission of Kenya who still opposes mass vaccination campaigns until such time "as the safety of the vaccines used is ascertained".

The Catholic Church provides up to 45 per cent of all the medical services in Kenya and most of their units clearly ignored the directive of its health commission that "we are not supporting participating in the scheduled Measles-Rubella and Tetanus Vaccinations". Only a few schools and parishes took this warning seriously and some sisters were arrested for non-participation and putting the health of children at risk.

The matter would quickly have been forgotten had the conclusion of the vaccination campaign not coincided with the leaking to the press of a demand order from one of the companies who had participated in last year’s joint testing between the Catholic Church and the Ministry of Health of the polio vaccination.

Agriq Quest claimed through their advocate Gitobu Imanyara that the Government has not paid them Sh13.7 million for the tests they performed because they refused to doctor the results and give the Ministry’s vaccine a clean bill of health.

The laboratory company tested 59 vials—50 from the government laboratories and nine from the Catholic Church. According to Agriq Quest’s results, all the government vials were closed and safe but three opened vials presented by the church were contaminated with HCG a hormone that can cause infertility. Those results were made public over a year ago but parents and health professionals have been left in limbo ever since.

Now, according to Agriq Quest’s claim, the Ministry of Health and in particular the Pharmacy and Poisons Board stand accused of corruption and collusion in controlling the population size. However, the handling by all parties of a sensitive, critical issue that touches on health and life quality leaves a lot to be desired. The Ministry of Health claims that Agriq Quest’s complaint is merely a pay dispute. That response is not adequate nor does it address the accusation that some vials were contaminated.

On the other hand, if the Church has convincing evidence that the government through its Health Ministry has malicious plans to control the population size then it has the moral responsibility to proceed to court forthwith.

What we are currently dealing with are rumours, contested results and scaremongering. Put another way, how responsible and prudent is it for two bishops to advise ten million Catholics to avoid the recent measles-rubella vaccination? What if parents heeded the bishops and their children later died of either disease? How would the courts rule in terms of responsibility?

No party currently comes out of this dispute with enhanced dignity. The matter surfaces, disappears and later reappears without the public being any the wiser. Both the church and government must finally agree on a third party to investigate this ugly dispute once and for all.

[email protected]; @GabrielDolan1