Kenya’s Catholic Church has urged young Kenyan women to avoid
participating in a government-run tetanus vaccine scheme out of fear
that the vaccines were laced with a contraceptive agent.
According to The Washington Post
Kenyan bishops told a parliamentary committee that sample test results
of a privately conducted analysis of the tetanus vaccine revealed the
presence of a birth-control hormone called beta human chorionic
gonadotropin.
The tetanus vaccines, which have been provided by the World Health
Organization (WHO) raised the suspicions of Kenya’s Catholic clergy in
March, as the scheme is solely directed at women of child-rearing age.
“We are calling on all Kenyans to avoid the tetanus vaccination
campaign because we are convinced it is indeed a disguised population
control program,” said Bishop Paul Kariuki, chairman of the Kenya
Conference of Catholic Bishops’ health committee.
However, a government spokesman has defended the vaccine drive, informing the public that the tetanus vaccines were indeed safe.
“We have explained the science behind targeting the women,” said
James Macharia, health ministry cabinet secretary. “We have embarked on
the campaign to speed up the elimination of the disease among women in
the reproductive age.”
The row between the government
and the country’s Catholic clergy is certain to dampen an effective
anti-tetanus drive in a nation with a pronounced religious culture
Source:sahara reporters
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