Search

Polio Free Afghanistan made several social media posts about the nation’s second polio vaccination campaign. The posts received hundreds of responses, including a mix of support for the campaign and distrust of polio vaccines. Several responses called polio drops “poison,” “forbidden,” and the “mother of all diseases.” Others claimed that polio vaccination is a “Western” conspiracy and the “destruction of Afghanistan.”

Shortly after two polio cases were reported in South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a Sindh health official announced a “zero tolerance” policy for skipping polio drops to “ensure that no child in Sindh remains unprotected.” Online reactions to the comments were overwhelmingly positive and supportive, calling the efforts “commendable.” 

A national Afghan news outlet posted on social media about a polio vaccination campaign planning meeting in Kabul. Responses to the posts were mixed, with some asking about polio vaccine ingredients and alleged “harm done to children” because of polio vaccination. Due to the Taliban’s previous ban, many posts question whether polio vaccines are halal (permissible) or haram (prohibited) for Muslims.

Indonesia’s recent authorization for a clinical trial for a tuberculosis vaccine prompted negative reactions that continued to circulate over the weekend. Several social media and blog posts about the trial falsely alleged that a polio vaccine funded by the Gates Foundation paralyzed either 47,000 or half a million Indian children, disproven myths that have circulated online for years. A popular anti-vaccine account accused the Indonesian health officials of hiding vaccine safety data. Many users opposed vaccines and claimed that Indonesians are being used as “guinea pigs" to test new vaccines.

Video claims—without evidence—that polio drops caused disabilities

In a video spreading online in Iran, a person purporting to be a disability care worker claims that some patients at their center have disabilities caused by polio drops. Health authorities have not confirmed any of the claims in the video. The video has been shared and viewed many times on social media, including on one post that received over 16,000 likes and nearly 700 comments. Although some responses criticized people sharing the video for spreading “ignorance,” others expressed negative views about vaccines. One popular comment encouraged parents not to vaccinate their children, while another claims that vaccines slow children’s development.