Influencer calls polio vaccines a “biological weapon” used on children

Polio Pulse

Polio Pulse provides social listening insights to support GPEI’s polio interventions on disinformation, crisis communication, and strategic communication. Data is monitored from polio-endemic and outbreak countries and geographies classified by GPEI, covering 12 major languages spoken in these regions. The platform is managed by the UNICEF Digital Community Engagement (DCE) team.

Analysis

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.

Recommendations

These posts are examples of how vaccine opponents attempt to portray polio vaccines as dangerous or toxic. Health messengers may continue to emphasize that polio vaccines have been rigorously tested for safety and have been safely given to billions of children for several generations. Messaging may also highlight that vaccines are responsible for eliminating wild polio in most countries and are the only way to protect children from polio.