Analysis
As Pakistan launched its second national polio vaccine campaign this year, many online commenters doubted that the campaign was necessary. Some argued that the country pays too much attention to polio at the expense of other issues like hunger and unemployment. One post calls on the government to fight drug trafficking instead of distributing polio drops “at the tip of the gun.”
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.