Analysis
On December 13, the New York Times reported that a lawyer associated with the nominee for U.S. health secretary petitioned the Food and Drug Administration in 2022 to revoke its approval of the inactivated polio vaccine. The lawyer reportedly assisted the nominee, who is a prominent anti-vaccine figure in the U.S., in screening candidates for roles in the Department of Health and Human Services. The story trended in the U.S. and worldwide, with many people criticizing efforts to weaken confidence in a trusted vaccine. Several U.S. politicians who previously expressed anti-vaccine sentiments attempted to distance themselves from criticism of the polio vaccine. However, some social media users defended the nominee, falsely claiming that the polio vaccine was not safe and wasn’t properly tested.
Recommendations
High-profile public figures promoting false and misleading narratives about polio vaccines can lead to distrust and hesitancy. Prebunking messaging may emphasize the well-established safety of the inactivated polio vaccine, which has been closely monitored for decades with no evidence of serious adverse reactions. Safety data from millions of vaccine doses reveal few adverse events and no safety concerns. Talking points may explain that all polio vaccines are rigorously tested for safety and have, for decades, been safely administered to billions of children worldwide.