Analysis
On December 13, the New York Times reported that a lawyer associated with the nominee for U.S. health secretary petitioned the Food and Drug Administration in 2022 to revoke its approval of the inactivated polio vaccine. The lawyer reportedly assisted the nominee, who is a prominent anti-vaccine figure in the U.S., in screening candidates for roles in the Department of Health and Human Services. The story trended in the U.S. and worldwide, with many people criticizing efforts to weaken confidence in a trusted vaccine. Several U.S. politicians who previously expressed anti-vaccine sentiments attempted to distance themselves from criticism of the polio vaccine. However, some social media users defended the nominee, falsely claiming that the polio vaccine was not safe and wasn’t properly tested.
Recommendations
Claims that other issues are more important than polio vaccination are widespread and may cause hesitancy during ongoing campaigns. These types of comments show how the public views resources spent on polio eradication versus other important social problems. Communicators may wish to explain polio’s severity, how polio vaccines benefit children and their communities, and the goals of vaccination campaigns.