Analysis
On January 8, Pakistan reported its first polio case of 2025. Additionally, the country confirmed three polio cases and positive wastewater samples in 17 districts, all from the last two weeks of 2024. The new cases bring last year’s total to 74, sparking an online debate about the necessity and safety of polio vaccines in the country. Several posts suggest that polio will never be eliminated in Pakistan as long as the country continues to receive international funding. Other posts claim that vaccines are being used to spread polio and discourage parents from vaccinating their children. Some dismiss news coverage of polio cases as “propaganda.” One popular post with over 3 million views and 25,000 engagements encouraged people in the region to avoid polio by drinking water. The post, which has been shared on multiple social media platforms, claims that polio and other diseases are caused by not drinking enough water.
Recommendations
Claims that polio vaccination is unnecessary are particularly dangerous in Pakistan, where polio cases are on the rise and vaccine hesitancy is widespread. Talking points may emphasize that every country that has eliminated polio has done so using vaccines. Messaging may also highlight that wild polio—not vaccine-derived polio—is present in Pakistan and that no cVDPV cases have been detected in the country since 2021. Using trusted messengers to explain that the best way to prevent any type of polio outbreak is to vaccinate children is recommended.