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After months of shortages, Kenya’s Ministry of Health announced at a June 12 press conference that it prepared to distribute more than 6 million doses of BCG (tuberculosis) and oral polio vaccines. While many people celebrated the news, many were critical of what they viewed as the government turning a basic public health responsibility into a PR opportunity. Several social media users accused the government of creating a problem to solve publicly. A few posts speculated that the vaccines are unsafe or expired, while others expressed doubts about the origin and contents of the vaccines. 

The secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sparked a global debate online when he announced on June 9 that he removed all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee. The official claimed that childhood vaccines, including polio vaccines, have not been properly tested and insinuated that current polio vaccines are unsafe because they were grown in “monkey cells.” A self-described conspiracy theorist celebrated the secretary’s statement as the “truth” about childhood vaccines “finally coming out.” Another social media user called for “anti-vax” advisors to be added to the panel, which critics say the health secretary did on June 11.  Public health and vaccine experts criticize the panel’s removal as “reckless,” emphasizing that, until now, CDC vaccine advisory members were selected based on their expertise.

Frustrated Kenyan parents continue to discuss vaccine shortages online, as the Health Ministry confirmed that 12 counties have run out of BCG (tuberculosis), polio, and rotavirus vaccines. Yet, health officials also announced that over 3 million doses of polio and BCG vaccines will be distributed by mid-June. Although most responses are critical of the government and concerned about when vaccines will be available, some promote false claims about vaccines. Several posts claim that vaccines are “poisonous” and have “killed children,” while others spread conspiracy theories about Bill Gates and vaccines being “weaponized.”

An Indonesian designer with over 180,000 social media followers recently posted a complaint about the vaccination requirements for performing the Islamic pilgrimage in Mecca. The Saudi government requires that all travelers from countries with poliovirus circulation, including Indonesia, provide proof of polio vaccination. The post falsely claims that COVID-19 vaccinations are also required to perform Umrah. Some posts call vaccines “fake” and “deadly,” while others suggest that vaccines only exist to make money. One commenter proposes going through Malaysia to bypass vaccination requirements. 

On June 3, Bill Gates was honored by the Nigerian government for his charitable work in the country, including his foundation’s efforts to eradicate polio. Although many responses to the news were positive, some commenters argued that vaccines funded by the Gates Foundation are dangerous. Several posts repeated the conspiracy theory that vaccines are part of a depopulation plot, while others claim that polio didn’t exist until vaccines were introduced.

Parents in Kenya continue to post online about their struggles to get their children vaccinated amid the ongoing vaccine shortage. In response to one such post, some commenters claim that polio vaccines are unnecessary and “control our DNA,” while others argue that vaccines are not necessary and that “a child cannot die from missing a vaccine.” Several replies state that the baby is “lucky” not to be vaccinated.

At a public relations event, a Pakistan Army spokesperson stated that “this army stands with the people on every front—from polio to terrorists.” The quote has been widely shared online, with some criticizing the official for equating polio eradication with terrorism. A Pakistani influencer with over 120,000 followers warned that the military shouldn’t administer polio drops because they are a “global biological weapon” targeting Pakistani children. The post received dozens of responses agreeing with the sentiment and claiming that polio vaccines are poison meant to make children infertile.

An influencer with a large Nigerian following falsely claimed that “polio became viral thanks to the vaccines.” The post suggests that vaccines are unnecessary because God created humans “without defect.” Responses to the post claim that polio never existed or was created in a lab to promote vaccines. Another popular post from a Kenyan astrologist calls polio vaccines “poison” and “bioweapons.”