Governor storms school with police, forcefully vaccinate pupils

Andre Mama Fouda Public Health Minister announced at a press conference held recently that Cameroon has been declared a non-polio exporting country. He further clarified that it doesn't mean that Cameroonians are totally free from the virus.

He noted that his declaration meant that people who live in Cameroon for more than four months will no longer be required to show proof of having been vaccinated against polio to travel abroad. He thus stressed the need for continuity in the campaign to kick polio out of the country.

Perhaps it was in that respect that Otto Joseph Wilson, Governor of the Center region, this morning, Friday March 27, personally supervised the forceful vaccination of pupils of the ‘Groupe Scolaire Les Martinets’ in Yaounde.

The school children were surprised to see the governor storm the school with police officers, including the Center region’s delegate for the ministry of public health and a team of health workers from a UNICEF-sponsored program for the vaccination of children between 0-5 against the Wild Polio Virus in Cameroon.

The governor, who had just launched the thirteenth national vaccination campaign against Polio at the Emana neighborhood in Yaoundé, was hinted that Bienvenue Kembou, Director of the said school would not permit vaccination workers to administer the vaccine on pupils in her school.

It was then the governor summoned the Police and health officials to forcefully carry out the exercise in the school. “I want to say this as a warning.

Anybody who attempts to hinder the vaccination process will be persecuted. We can persecute you. The decision to vaccinate children came from the international community and the government of this country and I consider any rejection as sabotage of government action,” the governor warned while supervising the exercise.

However, the head of the school insisted that it is not normal that vaccinators just barge into her school and begin vaccinating pupils when parents are not aware. “It is not like I am personally against the vaccine but the consent of parents ought to be sought as some of them are against it for personal reasons.” Kembou explained.

She said an official of the Ministry of Basic Education once saw on her child’s finger, a vaccination mark. “She came here and threatened me. So we asked the regional delegation to always inform us on time so that we send notes to each parent and seek their approval. Until that is not done, we do not permit anyone to vaccinate pupils here” she said.

“If you continue like that, I will close down the school” the governor responded. But the lady stood her grounds with the governor, challenging him that on the threat “You can’t close down this school Mr. Governor…you cannot send these children back and have them stay in the quarters.”

The governor replied that it is his duty to protect citizens from diseases and to ensure implementation of government decisions. “It is a worldwide campaign and we are here to ensure that we don’t have children in the future who cannot walk. Children who are affected would ask their parents what happened to them and the parents will have nothing to say. I have children and grandchildren. Our generation is passing and it is good to prepare a better generation for the future” he urged.

“I am the representative of the President here. Would you argue with your president? Know that children, who suffer from polio, will always be unhappy that their parents made them crippled for life”. Otto wondered why parents, who listened to doctors and prevented themselves from measles and other diseases while they were young, would not allow their children to be vaccinated nowadays.

He told the vaccination team and officials of the regional delegation to take note of every institution or individual who refuses to have his or her child vaccinated during the 3-day campaign which ends on Sunday March 29.

“Write them down and we will have one extra day for vaccination. I will personally go there and oversee the vaccination. Refusing the vaccine is like launching a rebellion” he said.

In an evaluation meeting at the central regional delegation for public health, it was revealed that the First Lady Chantal Biya’s hometown, Nanga Eboko recorded the lowest number of vaccinated children though it had the highest financial and material support from authorities.

Vaccine workers were also chased away in certain areas of the region. A chieftaincy tussle also hindered the activity in the Efoulan neighborhood in Yaoundé where one of the contenders of the title sent vaccination workers away with a mysterious snake.