High Court Bars Ministry Of Education From Administering COVID-19 Vaccines To Minors.
The High Court has barred the Ministry of Health (MoH) from administering COVID-19 vaccines to minors in schools and religious institutions across the country.
The court issued the suspension orders pending the determination of a lawsuit filed by Winfred Clarkson and 12 others on January 20, 2022.
The petitioners challenged a Ministry of Health directive issued in November 2021 that aimed to prevent unvaccinated Kenyans from receiving government services.
“Pending the hearing and the determination of the petition in this document, a conservative decree is and is being issued prohibiting the respondents, their respective agencies and / or departments, their employees, agents, employees or anyone acting on their order and direction to administer any ‘Covid-19’ ‘Vaccines’ on children in schools “, reads the court documents signed by the Deputy Chancellor of the High Court on 21 June 2022.
They also stated that the exercise was prohibited in churches, mosques or other similar places of religious worship and from administering COVID-19 vaccines to children and persons under the age of 18, until further notice. Court Orders.
Interested parties were asked to file and notify their responses to the motion within 7 days.
“Once the responses have been filed, the applicant must submit and notify further observations, as the case could be on the motion notice of 06/13/2022. This will happen within 7 days …” read the proceedings of the court.
The case will be mentioned on July 27, 2022 when the High Court will also designate the date of the hearing.
The court order comes just a day after the government restored the requirement to wear face masks indoors as a containment measure to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
On the other hand the Ministry of Education, 13th June 2022 to county directors of Education on administration of Covid-19 vaccines targeting 30 million people including teenagers aged 15 and above years.
Here is the circular :
To: County Directors of Education
RE: COVID-19 AND HPV VACCINATION
Reference is made to the Ministry of Health letter Ref. No. MOH/ADM/1/1/2 dated 17th May 2022 on the above subject.
The Government of Kenya rolled out Covid-19 vaccination nationally in March 2021.
The Ministry of Health is targeting to vaccinate at least thirty million (30,000,000) people including teenagers aged fifteen (15) years and above with Covid-19 vaccine.
In addition, the Ministry is also targeting to vaccinate all girls age ten (10) to fourteen (14) years with HPV vaccine by end of December 2022.
HPV vaccines will ensure that girls are protected against cervical cancer.
In order to ensure success of these important activities, you are asked to support the Ministry of Health in the implementation of this activity.
You are therefore required to cascade this information to all schools under your jurisdiction.
You are also required to advise school headteachers to ensure parental consent is obtained for successful roll out of the vaccination.
JULIUS O. JWAN, PhD, CBS
PRINCIPAL SECRETARY.
