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The Catholic Church has requested to appear before the National Assembly's Health Committee to table findings of the laboratory test results to back its claims against the tetanus vaccine.
Through Nyiha Mukoma and Company Advocates, the church and Stephen Karanja, the doctor at the centre of the vaccine controversy offered to appear before the committee to support claims the vaccine being administered is "surreptitious" and has "unacceptable" levels of a hormone that interferes with fertility.
"Dr Karanja and the Catholic Church are ready to defend their position, supported by the results that the vaccine being administered is surreptitious and is intended to achieve an end other than a medical objective owing to the unacceptable levels of the HCG hormone that the vaccine contains," the lawyers said in a letter addressed to the committee's chairman.
Last week, Kenya's health authorities vowed to punish Karanja for asking the Catholic Church to reject the tetanus vaccine.
Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia and the Director of Medical Services Nicholas Muraguri said they gathered enough evidence to show Karanja, an obstetrician gynaecologist had breached the professional ethics.
Speaking during a meeting with the committee at Continental House in Nairobi, the two said they tested the vaccine in independent laboratories both locally and internationally.
The results showed there was no link between the vaccine and the "conspiracy theory" that it was meant to be a form of birth control.
They also said that Karanja did not submit the purported evidence on the unsuitability of the vaccine to the ministry.
They added that they were ready to summon Karanja to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board for disciplinary action.
Individual capacity
But yesterday, Karanja's lawyers said he spoke "on behalf of the Catholic Church and not in his individual capacity." Karanja stood by his word saying he forwarded evidence regarding tests carried out on tetanus vaccine to the ministry.
"Indeed, the evidence in the form of tests carried out by various laboratories was presented at a meeting between the Catholic Church Health Commission of Kenya, the Cabinet Secretary, The Director of Medical Services and the Deputy Director of Medical Services (prevention) on October 13," he said.
He said copies of the tests were sent to the Medical Services Director.
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