Polio victim seeks to stop church drive
What you need to know:
- The church has claimed that the vaccine contains family planning agents, which the government has denied.
- The respondents issued a press statement on July 28, calling on Catholics and Kenyans in general not to take children for the anti-polio vaccination.
A polio victim has gone to court, seeking to stop the Catholic Church from making statements opposing the national vaccination campaign against the disease.
Mr Clinton Mugesi Werema filed the case under a certificate of urgency.
He said the church’s opposition is putting the lives of millions of Kenyans at stake.
The church has claimed that the vaccine contains family planning agents, which the government has denied.
Mr Werema said the respondents provide spiritual as well as social guidance to millions of Kenyans and their statements could influence people to boycott the campaign.
FAMILY PLANNING
“Polio is a highly infectious disease and such statements are a violation of basic human rights... The vaccines that are used routinely in our hospitals are the same ones being used for the mass campaigns,” he said.
The respondents issued a press statement on July 28, calling on Catholics and Kenyans in general not to take children for the anti-polio vaccination.
Mr Wemere has cited John Cardinal Njue and 27 others as respondents in the case.
The case has been referred to the vacation judge who will be sitting from next week as all the judges are currently in Mombasa attending their annual meeting.
Mr Wemere, who claims to be a polio and immunisation ambassador, told the court that he was a living victim of the devastating effects of polio.
