Teacher arrested for blocking jab

The head teacher of a Catholic-sponsored school has been arrested for preventing public health officials from conducting measles-rubella immunisation.

Catholic Sister Cecilia Kamau arrested for obstructing public health officers from vaccinating more than 700 pupils at St Anthony primary school. Sister Kamau the school said she was acting according to directive issued by Catholic Church that has raised issues on safety of the vaccine. Together with her is Public health officer Samuel King'ori and other officers. PHOTO BONIFACE THUKU

Sister Cecilia Kamau from St Anthony Primary in Bahati Sub-County was accused of blocking more than 700 children from accessing the vaccine. Consequently, parents were forced to take their children to non-Catholic-sponsored schools to be vaccinated.

Nakuru Public Health Officer Samuel King'ori said he received information from some parents that the head teacher had vowed she would not allow the exercise to take place in the school.

Mr King'ori said public officers together with police stormed the school and arrested Ms Kamau, who allegedly said she was implementing a Catholic Church directive. The church has questioned the safety of the vaccine.

"Parents said the head did not permit children at the school to undergo immunisation according to orders forcing them to find alternative ways," said King'ori.

The head teacher was locked up at Bahati Police Station and will be arraigned in court and charged with obstructing public health officers from doing their work under the Public Health Act cap 242.

He said the department had also summoned the administration of Christ The King Primary, Loreto and Elimu Nursery to explain why they also failed to comply with the Ministry of Heath's directive.

The Ministry of Education had directed County Education officers to ensure that all schools support the exercise.

By yesterday, Nakuru County had attained 91 per cent of the expected immunisation target. King'ori asked parents to take their children for vaccination despite closure of countrywide immunisation.

Last year, he said, at least one child died while seven were infected with measles in an outbreak in Olkaria, Naivasha.

"It is wrong for Catholic-sponsored schools, or any agent, to disobey the immunisation directive because this is a measure that prevents diseases," he said.

The arrest was made amid complaints by the Immunisation Goodwill Ambassador, Senator Harold Kipchumba, who accused the Catholic Church of misleading Kenyans over the measles-rubella and tetanus vaccination.

Misleading Information

Speaking to The Standard, Mr Kipchumba said it is unfortunate that despite the church having been involved in various meetings, it continues to spread misleading information.

Other areas where the immunisation campaign has encountered resistance include Nairobi, Tharaka Nithi, Baringo and Kirinyaga counties.

Kipchumba called on the Government under the Ministry of Health to conduct continuous preventive health care sensitisation to prevent diseases.

The exercise, Kipchumba said, should entail educating the public on the importance of immunisation and accessing health-care services.

He said it was unfortunate that most people, more so mothers, take their children for immunisation only during exercises launched by the Government, while services are continuously being offered in hospitals.

"Knowledge on measures to prevent diseases is very vital and will ensure continuous immunisation of our children away from massive programmes," said Kipchumba.

The tetanus immunisation campaign targets 800,000 women aged between 15 and 49 years in Samburu, Narok, Mombasa, Meru, Kilifi, Garissa, Turkana, West Pokot, Baringo, Mandera and Wajir counties.