The government, through the Health Ministry, has faulted a section of church leaders for being insincere to the public concerning the ongoing Measles and Rubella vaccination.
The government maintained that the vaccines being offered to the Kenyan children are safe as they have been subjected to thorough laboratory inspection by the relevant bodies and so there is nothing to worry about.
Speaking in Nairobi on Wednesday, Health CS, Cleopa Mailu accused the church of instilling unnecessary fear and tension to the members of the public yet they were previously part of the awareness campaigns. He doubted the intentions of the church noting that safety queries and objections from the church ought to have been raised earlier during the initial processes of the campaign that they took part in. Mailu further explained that senior members of the clergy were present during the testing process but never raised any objection regarding the JAB.
The Catholic Church has in the past advised encouraged its followers to abstain from getting vaccinated, especially for tetanus which they claimed the government was up to deliver forced family planning to women.
The ongoing immunisation campaign is the largest ever in the country and it targets over 19 million children below the age of 14 years.