Kenya: Catholic Church claims UN-sponsored tetanus vaccines 'cause mass-sterilisation'

The Catholic Church in Kenya has claimed in its latest report that at least 500,000 women might not be able to bear children after being injected with contaminated tetanus vaccines containing anti-pregnancy hormones.

Rev. Paul Kariuki, from the diocese in Embu, 120km north east of the capital Nairobi, told The Star that a committee of experts found that at least 30% of the vaccines sponsored by two UN agencies, WHO and Unicef, were laced with HCG, commonly known as the "Pregnancy Hormone".

According to the report by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops, HCG might lead to complications during the pregnancy, pregnancy losses, and infertility.

Kariuki explained that three vials tested from a 2014 vaccination campaign were confirmed to contain very high levels of the Beta HCG hormone.

"The beta quantity of Beta HCG is highly significant ranging from 24-37.5%," said Kariuki, adding that the Church is demanding the ministry and UN agencies involved apologise to Kenyans and stop any further vaccination campaigns.

"It is both unethical and immoral for WHO and UNICEF to sponsor and fund an inhuman campaign like this in our country. They owe the defenceless, uninformed but trusting Kenyan children and women an apology," Rev Kariuki said.

Kenya's Minisry of Health issued a statement arguing that although some vials contained HCG, the majority of the vials tested (56 out of 59) were negative.

"These three vials were collected from the field during the campaign and submitted as open vials having being previously tested in other laboratories," the statement read.

This is not the first time that the Catholic Church has claimed that tetanus vaccines can cause sterility.

"The ministry must stop making noise and allow the Church to sample the vaccines before they are given," Dr Stephen Karanja, the chair of the Catholic Doctors Association in Kenya, told the BBC last October.

However, the Kenyan government has always denied the Catholic Church's claims while the Health Ministry keeps assuring that the vaccines are safe.

The Star also quotes Dr Talwar from the Journal of Cell Science & Therapy as saying that HCG used to prevent pregnancy must be taken every three months and its effects are not permanent as it is claimed in the report.

Unicef, WHO and Kenyan government deny allegations

When contacted by IBTimes UK, Unicef referred to a joint statement issued by Unicef and WHO offices in Kenya in November 2014, which denied the accusations of the Catholic Church and expressed "deep concern" over the misinformation circulating in the media.

"The vaccines supplied through Unicef and WHO are safe. Recent independent testing supported by the Government of Kenya and the Catholic doctors confirmed this," the statement said.

"The joint statement issued by the Government and the Catholic doctors on 10 January 2015 declared the vaccines to be safe and also recommended routine monitoring of vaccines for quality assurance."

"The Government of Kenya has a strict monitoring system for the safety of life-saving commodities, including vaccines. WHO and Unicef will continue to ensure that safe vaccines are available to all children in Kenya.

"Incorrect and unsubstantiated assertions such as these put children and women at risk from vaccine-preventable diseases, which kill hundreds of thousands of children per year, including children here in Kenya."