Fact-check: Debunking polio vaccine myths causing panic on social media

In recent weeks, videos and messages claiming that the polio vaccine is causing harm to children have gone viral on social media platforms in Pakistan.

One particular set of videos alleges that children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province fell ill and were hospitalised after receiving polio drops, while a message circulating on WhatsApp has raised concerns about the safety of the oral polio vaccine (OPV). These claims have generated widespread panic and confusion among parents. To address these concerns, we conducted an investigation to verify the accuracy of these claims.

Claim 

Videos circulating on social media allege that children in KP's Khyber district fell ill and were hospitalised after receiving the polio vaccine.

On December 9, an X (formerly Twitter) user posted two short clips supposedly showing children falling sick after taking polio drops in the Khyber district. The post questioned if the quality of the vaccine was bad.

Fact

The claim that the children fell ill due to the polio vaccine is false. In reality, the children shown in the video became sick after taking deworming tablets on an empty stomach, not after receiving the polio drops. This was confirmed by government officials and a journalist.

Attaullah Khan, the Public Relations Officer for health in KP, told Geo Fact Check that the provincial government had conducted a deworming campaign in November. The children in the video, who were from the Jamrud area of Khyber district, had taken deworming tablets without having breakfast, which led to their illness.

 Khan further shared a statement from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's health advisor, Ehtesham Ali, dated November 4, which clarified that several children had become ill after taking deworming tablets on an empty stomach. This was also corroborated by Bilal Ahmed Faizi, the spokesperson for Rescue 1122 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, whose team was responsible for transporting the children to the hospital.

Additionally, Geo News correspondent Daniyal Aziz shared a list of the eight children who had fainted, all of whom were over the age of five. This is important because polio drops are given exclusively to children under the age of five, further disproving any connection to the polio vaccine.

Even the tablets shown in the video are clearly deworming tablets and not polio drops, as can be seen below.

Claim

A long message circulating on WhatsApp falsely claims that the oral polio vaccine (OPV) is causing polio infections among children in Pakistan. The message urges parents to opt for the injectable polio vaccine (IPV) instead of the drops.

Fact

This claim is also false. Both the oral and injectable polio vaccines are safe and effective, as confirmed by a senior health official in Pakistan.

 Dr Rana Muhammad Safdar, the strategic advisor for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Pakistan, explained in a written response to Geo Fact Check that both OPV and IPV play critical roles in protecting children from polio. 

He stated: "Both vaccines have distinct benefits. The oral polio vaccine (OPV) provides gut immunity, preventing the virus from replicating in the human gut. The injectable vaccine (IPV) protects against paralysis. The administration of both OPV and IPV is essential for all children in Pakistan, as the country remains an endemic area for the wild poliovirus."

Verdict 

The viral videos and WhatsApp messages alleging that the polio vaccine is causing harm to children are based on false information.

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