A social media user shared a video of a Nigerian pastor who frequently promotes anti-vaccine myths and claimed that all vaccines are unsafe. The post also falsely states that children only get polio after being vaccinated. Over 130 people shared the posts, and around half of the responses agreed with the false claims.
A trending social media post accuses Bill Gates of using polio vaccination and other global health programs to “slow population growth” in Africa through sterilization. The post received over 2,000 engagements, including dozens of responses claiming that vaccines are deadly and meant to sterilize women throughout the continent.
WHO recently reported that over 100 children in Afghanistan and Pakistan were paralyzed by the wild poliovirus last year. One response asked why polio vaccines cause paralysis, while another argued they don’t work because polio still exists.
As Nigeria launched a national polio vaccination campaign, local news outlets reported that some parents are refusing polio drops for their children. Officials in Bauchi reportedly threatened to arrest parents who refuse the vaccines. While many commenters criticized the parents, others said the government should focus on other issues, such as hunger and security. Some posts also claimed that polio vaccines are haram (prohibited in Islam), bioweapons, deadly, and not effective.
Social media users in Indonesia are discussing a video about a mother refusing vaccines for her child. Some responses echoed the mother’s concerns about the safety of polio vaccines. A pediatrician responded to the video by calling on others to be compassionate and understanding of parents who are hesitant about vaccines. Although most commenters agreed with these strategies to encourage vaccination, others claimed, without evidence, that modern vaccines weaken children’s immune systems.
In a popular social media post, a Palestinian journalist wrote about Israel’s ongoing blockade preventing vaccines from entering Gaza. Responses to the post claim that Gazans don’t need vaccines, arguing that they are “poison” and that polio is a “hoax.” One post quotes a fake medical organization that condemned polio vaccines.
Online users expressed frustration that university entrance exams in North Waziristan are postponed due to “security concerns.” Some social media users questioned why polio vaccine campaigns are still scheduled despite the concerns. One post claims that polio drops are given at gunpoint. Another post says that polio campaigns will always continue because they make money for the government.
Several social media posts about polio campaigns in the Democratic Republic of the Congo received negative comments about polio vaccines. Some posts called polio vaccines “poison.” Other commenters say that the vaccines are not needed because children survive without them and the disease is “almost nonexistent.”