Analysis
Ethiopia reported four polio cases last week, bringing the country’s total for the year to 33. In response, a social media user accused polio workers of dumping polio vaccines in open fields and falsely reporting a successful vaccination campaign. Meanwhile, a conservative organization that has promoted anti-vaccine myths and the conspiracy theory that HIV does not cause AIDS, shared a news article about polio cases in Ethiopia and Benin. The post emphasized that the cases were vaccine-derived, with no additional context or explanation of how cVDPV spreads.
Recommendations
Misleading claims continue to circulate about the role of oral polio vaccines in polio eradication efforts. Health communicators may explain that OPV is responsible for eliminating wild polio in Ethiopia and Benin. Messaging may emphasize that polio outbreaks happen when vaccination rates are low. Use trusted messengers to explain that vaccines are the only way to protect children from polio—whether it’s wild polio or cVDPV.