’Marafaele Mohloboli
PARENTS of children experiencing side-effects of measles and rubella vaccinations say Health Minister ‘Molotsi Monyamane’s recent public apology brought them little comfort since it did not alleviate the challenges they were facing.
Last month, the Ministry of Health embarked on a nationwide measles and rubella vaccination campaign targeting children from ages 0-14 years.
However, hundreds of parents have since claimed their children were adversely affected by the vaccines with side-effects that include severe body rashes, high fever and coughing.
Four children have reportedly died from the side effects, with the latest dying at Queen ‘Mamohato Memorial Hospital over the weekend. However, there has not yet been any postmortem confirming the virus as the cause of death.
Dr Monyamane had apologised for his remarks at last week’s press conference on the vaccine that sparked widespread outrage, with the minister accused of being insensitive and arrogant in his denial that there had been any adverse side-effects in the wake of the vaccinations.
At the press conference last Thursday, Dr Monyamane rubbished claims that two children had died as a result of the vaccination, suggesting they could have “died of malnutrition”.
When asked if a post-mortem was done to reach a conclusion that the children had died of malnutrition, the visibly agitated Dr Monyamane had said: “I am not a sangoma (seer, or diviner).
“We will not discuss people’s causes of death. It is unethical and I will not tolerate it.”
He had also said the social media pictures apparently showing victims of the adverse effects of the vaccination were fake and had been taken from the textbooks he read in the past.
However, the minister subsequently apologised in a story published by the Lesotho Times’ sister publication Sunday Express, adding his utterances had been misconstrued to suggest that he was insensitive.
“First of all I want to convey my sincere apologies to the nation that the message I gave at the press conference was interpreted as if I am an insensitive and arrogant person,” Dr Monyamane said.
The minister admitted to losing his cool at the press conference, adding, “I was disappointed that this issue was now being politicized.”
However, even this apology is not enough for Harry Nkhetše, a parent who spoke of his fear that his son could suffer visual impairment after being vaccinated.
“I have nothing much to say except to thank Dr Monyamane for having made us feel stupid, ignorant and irresponsible about our children’s health,” Mr Nkhetše ironically stated in an interview with this publication yesterday.
“I would like to thank him for reminding us that he is one of the longest serving medical practitioners in this country and for knowing our kids better than us.”
He said Dr Monyamane’s apology on national television was not enough to repair the damage caused to their children’s lives.
“My son could be scarred for life while you made that apology which was not so convincing after all.”
Mr Nkhetše said his son’s eyes appeared to have a whitish layer since the vaccination.
“And doctors don’t know what my son is suffering from and they can’t even give me hope that he will ever fully recover his eyesight. However, I am not going to take this situation lying down, I am hurting and I feel very helpless.”
He said Dr Monyamane had attacked the media instead of giving answers and solutions to the issue.
“Thank you for coming to the media guns blazing and riding on your high horse to the devastated, broken and helpless parents, and thank you for having it all figured out what we should rather have done when we were hit by the shock of what had happened to our kids.”
Another parent, ’Mabahlakoana Ramosoeu of Ha Leqele was equally pained by her two daughters’ condition. One is in high school while the other is still at primary level but both have not been to school since experiencing the side effects.
“My heart bleeds from Dr Monyamane’s answers when the least he could have done was help us instead of saying the things he said.
“I have been from doctor to doctor in search of answers as to what my daughter could be suffering from and there are still no satisfactory answers.”
When the Lesotho Times visited Ms Ramosoeu’s home, her 11 year old daughter appeared to be in pain induced by the pus-filled abscesses which had led to shiny hairless patches on her head. She also had a swollen lymph node behind her left ear.
“It started with fever and then before I knew it my whole head was itchy. I developed these abscesses that you see on my head. My head is constantly painful, that is why I haven’t been to school for days on end,” said the young girl.