As the debate about vaccinating school going children against Covid-19 with or without their parents’ consent rages on, a negative case of a student who was recently inoculated against the virus has surfaced.
Jonah Luyinda,14,a student of St Martin Secondary School, Jjanya Mpigi, is one of the few students who have so far felt the pinch and suffered from the adverse effects of Covid-19 vaccine. Jonah was forcefully vaccinated in March this year when a team of officials from the Ministry of Health headed by the Mpigi District Health Officer (DHO) raided and inoculated learners even before government pronounced itself on the issue of its planned countrywide mass vaccination of learners between the age of 12- 17 years of age.
Jonah at Kiruddu Hospital
According to Jonah’s elder brother, Jasper Nsubuga, days after the vaccination exercise, they received a call from the Jonah’s friend at school who informed them (through his mother’s phone) that he was not feeling well and he was in a very bad shape.
“We immediately called the Deputy Head Teacher (our contact person at school) who assured us that the boy was fine and that as we talked to him, he was from seeing him,” said Nsubuga during the National Economic Empowerment Dialogue (NEED) weekly press conference on Monday.
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“What raised our eyebrows is that the same Head Teacher called us the following day, and informed us that Jonah’s health condition had deteriorated, that we should pick him as soon as possible,” he recalled.
Doctors and nurses attending to Jonah
Nsubuga added that when they picked Jonah from school, they immediately rushed him to a health facility which ran various medical tests and scan on him.
“Jonah’s whole body was swollen. Doctors discovered that he had multi organ failure. They told me and my mother that they could not handle his health situation. I personally drove him to Rubaga Hospital where other general body tests were conducted. Still they discovered that most of his body parts were badly affected including the lungs, kidneys, heart and brain. They also referred us to Kiruddu National Refferal Hospital saying they are the ones who had the required machines that can work on him,” Nsubuga tearfully explained.
Multiple-organ failure (MOF) is a severe, life-threatening condition that usually occurs as a result of major trauma, burns, or fulminant infections. Whatever the initiating event, once established, MOF has a high mortality (up to 80%).
Reaching at Kiruddu Hospital, Jonah was first admitted to the general ward but later doctors took him to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), saying his health condition was very serious.
“Doctors conducted a general body scan and discovered that his lungs had holes in them, his kidneys,heart were failing. At one time, he even lost his memory; he could not indentify his family members. At one time we thought he was dead,” Nsubuga remarked.
He further disclosed that while at Kiruddu, one concerned doctor (name withheld) asked him why they vaccinated Jonah against Covid-19,pointing it out as a reason why he is in the current health condition.
“The doctor told me that the jab never did what it was supposed to do in Jonah’s body but apparently it affected his lungs and other internal body parts.”
After some weeks at Kiruddu, Nsubuga says they were discharged and took Jonah back home. But after one week, his condition deteriorated and they were forced to take him back to Hospital.
“Currently, he is undergoing dialysis at Kiruddu. His condition is now worse.”
No known medical condition:
Nsubuga said his young brother was very healthy and had no severe medical condition apart from being short-sighted.
“The school administration knows very well that Jonah had no medical condition apart from the problem with his eyes. The medical records are there. The situation came out the way it is now after being vaccinated.”
L-R: Jonah’s brother Jasper Nsubuga, NEED president Joseph Kabuleta addressing the media on Monday
Way forward:
Nsubuga disclosed that they are going to sue the school over the issue so that they can get justice for Jonah.
“The school head teacher told us that he was forced by the DHO to allow the exercise take place at the school. He also said that other students also got mild complications but later got better.
“We shall not waste our time to reach out to the Health Ministry because they will not help us since they are the ones behind the vaccination.”
Jonah’s ordeal comes at the backdrop of Health Ministry’s decision to halt its planned move to vaccinate all learners against Covid-19 without their parents’ consent.
“The Ministry of Health would like to reiterate that no child will be vaccinated against their parent, guardian or caretakers consent. This will be upheld during the vaccination of children,” said Dr Henry Mwebesa, the Ministry of Health Director General Health Services in a statement dated 10th June, 2022 following an uproar from the general public.
“While government would like to boost immunity of children against Covid-19 through vaccination, discussions are still ongoing with all key stakeholders including parents on the best approach to be undertaken. The Ministry of Health together with the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and Vaccine Advisory Committee (VAC) after consultation with cabinet will inform the public accordingly,” he added.
On the other hand, NEED president Joseph Kabuleta expressed wary that many children are likely to end up like Jonah or worse still, they may even lose their lives all in the name of getting them vaccinated from a disease that has very minimal effect on them.
Kabuleta first exposed what he termed as sinister move by some errant Ministry of Health officials with self interests to have all learners vaccinated without their parents’ consent.
He said Covid-19 vaccines were very dangerous to children and could cause heart problems and infertility.
“Why do you want to kill people’s kids because of money from Gavi? Mine will not be vaccinated but I’m fighting for other children in Uganda. No government official or member of the opposition is willing to talk about this because they fear their donations from foreigners will be canceled. It’s only me who has the guts to speak out,” the pastor cum politician told journalists yesterday.
“The Ministry of Health are liars and mass murderers. Can you imagine a 14 year old boy on dialysis because you want money from Gavi?”
Kabuleta also warned to expose all the top officials at the Health Ministry behind the campaign.
“We have their names, we shall expose them. They will not go scott free….children are going to die after vaccination. Even schools that allow the exercise to take part at their institutions, will also be held accountable,” he alerted.
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