Analysis
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.
Recommendations
Unverified stories that spread online about injuries allegedly caused by vaccines can make people doubt the safety of vaccines. Communicators may respond to these stories by emphasizing that polio vaccines have been used safely and given to billions of children worldwide for decades. Messaging may explain that vaccines are the only way to protect children from polio and stop the spread of the virus.