No Evidence Linking COVID-19 Vaccines To Child Development Disorders, Says Health Minister

Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora says there is no evidence linking COVID-19 vaccines to growth or developmental disorders in children born to parents who received the vaccines.

The issue was raised in the National Assembly, where legislators asked whether there was any evidence to suggest that COVID-19 vaccination could be associated with such conditions.

Responding to the questions, Mombeshora said the Ministry of Health and Child Care had not received any reports or data indicating an increase in growth or developmental disorders linked to COVID-19 vaccination.

“As a Ministry, we have not received any such reports or any concerns regarding this,” said Mombeshora.

“We have not received any data on any changes to the prevalence of growth or developmental disorders post-COVID-19 vaccination.”

The issue was raised by Emakhandeni-Luveve legislator Discent Bajila (CCC), who asked whether any studies or local data existed on growth and developmental disorders among children born to parents who received COVID-19 vaccines.

He also sought clarification from the ministry on whether any established link existed between vaccination and such conditions.

Responding, Mombeshora said vaccine safety surveillance in Zimbabwe is conducted by the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ), which monitors adverse events following immunisation.

He said MCAZ had not recorded any cases linking COVID-19 vaccines to developmental abnormalities.

During supplementary questions, Bajila said some parents had approached legislators after noticing what they believed were growth and developmental challenges among children entering Early Childhood Development (ECD) classes.

He asked whether the Ministry of Health and Child Care had engaged the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to establish whether similar concerns had been observed in schools.

Mombeshora said the ministry investigates cases reported through established surveillance systems but reiterated that no cases linking COVID-19 vaccination to developmental disorders had been reported in Zimbabwe.

The minister acknowledged that some scientific discussions have explored theoretical links between vaccination and neurodevelopmental outcomes, including claims of a possible 16 per cent increase in certain abnormalities. However, he stressed that Zimbabwe had not recorded evidence supporting such claims.

The Temporary Speaker encouraged parents and legislators to report any suspected cases to the Ministry of Health or MCAZ so they can be assessed through the country’s vaccine safety monitoring system.

More: Nehanda Radio