In Kenya, tetanus poses significant health risk to newborns, but the government’s campaign to vaccinate women of childbearing age has been attacked by the Catholic hierarchy. A press statement from the Catholic Health Commission of Kenya and the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops alleged that the vaccine could contain hCG, a hormone produced in pregnancy. The statement further alleged that contaminated vaccines have been used “in Philippines, Nicaragua and Mexico to vaccinate women against future pregnancy,” and that “in this situation tetanus vaccination has been used as a birth control method.”

A November statement signed by all 27 Kenyan bishops pledged, “We shall not waver in calling upon all Kenyans to avoid the tetanus vaccination campaign laced with Beta-hCG, because we are convinced that it is indeed a disguised population control programme” run by WHO and UNICEF.

Dr. Custodia Mandlhate of WHO and Dr. Pirkko Heinonen from UNICEF wrote to America magazine to refute the bishops’ statements, asserting, “These grave allegations are not backed up by evidence, and risk negatively impacting national immunization programs for children and women.” Speaking to the Kenya Standard, public health officer Dr. Samuel Muthenji expressed surprise at the sudden suspicion about the vaccine: “The campaign against tetanus has been going on for some time. Why have the fears started now?”