Govt closes Church school for rejecting measles vaccination

The Ministry of Education has closed a catholic-run primary school in Kibugu, Embu North after the school administration allegedly barred health officials from administering measles and rubella vaccine to the pupils.

Embu North Director of Education, Thomas Omwenga, said efforts to plead with the Holy Family primary school management to allow the 150 pupils to be vaccinated were fruitless, leaving them with no other choice but to indefinitely close the school to allow pupils to go home for the vaccination.

Omwenga says that the pupils will resume classes after the school management ascertains that they have been vaccinated against the measles and rubella, adding that other Catholic sponsored schools have allowed pupils to be vaccinated.

The school principal and the priest in charge of Nguviu Parish reportedly left the school, leaving the health officers who had come to immunize the pupils stranded.

The health officers claim that they sought permission to vaccinate the pupils outside the school compound but that was also rejected by the school management.

Pupils who are day scholars were ordered to leave the school immediately as the boarders wait to vacate the school Friday morning until the directive is implemented.

The measles rubella campaign for children aged  9 months to 15 years ended Thursday with 174,884 children targeted in Embu County.