Analysis
The DRC launched a five-day polio vaccination campaign on June 26. Responses to the campaign repeated several common conspiracies and myths about polio and polio vaccines. Several posts promoted the false claim that polio is caused by the pesticide DDT, while others called polio vaccines “poison.”
Recommendations
The myth that polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases are caused by environmental factors has been used to argue against the use of vaccines for decades. Health communicators may explain that polio is caused by poliovirus, not by exposure to pesticides or any other chemicals. Messaging may emphasize that polio vaccines are extremely safe, rigorously tested, and the only way to prevent polio.