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National Council for Persons With Disability (NCPWD) has hailed the Government for launching a Polio vaccination drive despite opposition from the Catholic Church.
Speaking in Narok yesterday, NCPWD Chairman David ole Sankok said Polio is a deadly disease that is responsible for 15 per cent out of 45 per cent of physical disability of its members. Dr Sankok said it was ironical for the church to oppose the vaccine without medical ground.
"Polio causes physical disability and can even kill. Decades ago due to intensified immunisation, Kenya had won over the disease but some cases were reported from the border and that is why the Government should continue to protect its citizens against the spread of polio," said Sankok.
Recently, the Catholic Church through Cardinal John Njue asked the Health ministry to postpone the vaccination drive until the vaccine is given a clean bill of health for the children.
The Catholic Church has accused the Health ministry of not being committed to clear the air on the safety of the vaccine to enable the church to support it.
Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops' Health Committee Chairman Paul Kariuki said the Government had been taking their representatives in a wild goose chase over the safety of the polio vaccine. Rev Kariuki, who is also the Bishop of the Diocese of Embu, said the Church was not opposed to the immunisation programme per se considering polio cases were reported in 2013, but they could not understand the Health ministry's reluctance to sample and test the vaccine jointly with the Church.
"We have met the Government representatives more than three times and they promised us to wait for the joint testing but that is not happening. We are ready to use the Government laboratories since they have qualified personnel but instead the Health ministry representatives are taking us in circles," he said.
Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia differed with the Catholics and vowed that the Government would continue with the exercise.
"These churches should be investigated. It is now the second time they are interfering with noble efforts by the Government. The other time they opposed the tetanus vaccination on claims that it will sterilise women and now polio," said Sankok.
Sankok called on State agencies to monitor health officials working in mission hospitals to ensure they are not manipulated by the Church.
And Manyatta MP John Muchiri called for the postponement of the polio vaccination programme until the concerns raised by the Church are addressed.
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