[WATCH] Don’t vax our kids: Parents picket at school
A group of disgruntled parents yesterday picketed outside a Hanover Park school, saying they do not want their children to receive any kind of injections or vaccinations at school.
About 20 mense stood outside Blomvlei Primary with placards saying they refuse to give consent to any type of injections, including the Covid vaccine and the HPV vaccine which prevents cervical cancer in girls.
The parents are also concerned about a cellphone tower on the school ground, believing it is making their kids sick.
The placards read: “Medical Aparthied Crime”, “Leave our children alone” and “Our children are not lab rats”.
Dad Samuel Gqwashu demanded to know the ingredients of the vaccines.
“The principal needs to address us but he didn’t come out to speak to us,” he says.
“We are not going to allow the school to vaccinate our children for anything even if it’s Covid, immunisation or HPV, the school should not even deworm them.
“They must tell us what is in the vaccine, we fear our children might get sick from these things or worse.”
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But School Governing Body Chairperson Renshia Manuel says all parents are given a consent form to sign for vaccination or routine health checks.
“It is their prerogative to give consent, they don’t have to sign anything they are not comfortable with,” she says.
“Now they said something about the school having a 5G cellphone tower which is making the children sick, but they use cellphones and microwaves at home.”
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Western Cape Education Department’s spokesperson Bronagh Hammond says kids getting injections at school is nothing new.
“The health authorities are at the school to administer the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is being offered to girls in Grade 5 over the age of nine years in public - and special schools during February and March 2022.
“The HPV vaccine reduces the risk of developing cervical cancer when they are adults.
“Parents and learners received information regarding the vaccine and are to fill out consent forms.
“Therefore, there is no forced administration of the vaccine.”
She adds: “The protest was advertised on social media by a group called South Africa United.
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“They are not all ‘parents’ of the school. There is nothing new about the rollout of the HPV vaccine to young girls.
“Only learners with signed consent forms will get vaccinated.”