Search

A popular Indonesian social media account that frequently posts false and misleading claims about vaccines accused the media of “fooling the people” about the polio outbreak in Papua New Guinea. The user falsely claimed that the media previously declared vaccine-derived polio a “hoax,” a claim that is contradicted by decades of mainstream media coverage of vaccine-derived poliovirus cases.

In a video with over 20,000 views, a man claims that his child died after taking polio drops. The man is holding an apparently deceased child in the video. Many responses to the video expressed condolences. However, others argued that the polio vaccine is safe and the death was not caused by the vaccine because none of the children who received doses from the same vial were harmed.

As parents in Kenya continue to search for vaccines during the ongoing shortage, some online users claim that vaccines are “poison” that children don’t need. One post also claimed that vaccines are “contraceptives” meant to prevent births.

A social media page with 1.4 million followers shared a post stating that, “in Pakistan, only polio drops will be available at the door,” while issues like water, education, and other necessities are ignored. The post has been shared over 12,000 times, and the quote is circulating on multiple platforms. Most commenters agreed with the post, claiming that polio eradication is part of a larger conspiracy or a money-making scheme.

Polio Free Afghanistan made several social media posts about the nation’s second polio vaccination campaign. The posts received hundreds of responses, including a mix of support for the campaign and distrust of polio vaccines. Several responses called polio drops “poison,” “forbidden,” and the “mother of all diseases.” Others claimed that polio vaccination is a “Western” conspiracy and the “destruction of Afghanistan.”

Shortly after two polio cases were reported in South Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a Sindh health official announced a “zero tolerance” policy for skipping polio drops to “ensure that no child in Sindh remains unprotected.” Online reactions to the comments were overwhelmingly positive and supportive, calling the efforts “commendable.” 

A national Afghan news outlet posted on social media about a polio vaccination campaign planning meeting in Kabul. Responses to the posts were mixed, with some asking about polio vaccine ingredients and alleged “harm done to children” because of polio vaccination. Due to the Taliban’s previous ban, many posts question whether polio vaccines are halal (permissible) or haram (prohibited) for Muslims.

Indonesia’s recent authorization for a clinical trial for a tuberculosis vaccine prompted negative reactions that continued to circulate over the weekend. Several social media and blog posts about the trial falsely alleged that a polio vaccine funded by the Gates Foundation paralyzed either 47,000 or half a million Indian children, disproven myths that have circulated online for years. A popular anti-vaccine account accused the Indonesian health officials of hiding vaccine safety data. Many users opposed vaccines and claimed that Indonesians are being used as “guinea pigs" to test new vaccines.