
A polio worker gives polio vaccine drops to a child in Islamabad February 26, 2014. (Photo: STRINGER/PAKISTAN / REUTERS)
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
A polio worker gives polio vaccine drops to a child in Islamabad February 26, 2014. (Photo: STRINGER/PAKISTAN / REUTERS)
A Pakistani official on Thursday slammed the CIA's fake vaccination drive in 2011 for fueling distrust of polio eradication campaigns and driving "attacks on polio workers" as the country grapples with an outbreak of this highly infectious disease.
Speaking to reporters at a press briefing, a spokesperson for Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs took direct aim at the CIA's false vaccination campaign, which was conducted as part of the hunt for Osama Bin Ladin and exposed by the Guardian in 2011.
"A fake campaign of vaccination was conducted in Pakistan in which the [International NGOs] were also used," said the spokesperson, according to a transcript from the Pakistani government. "I am referring to Dr. Shakeel Afridi's case. This further reinforced the negative perception about the agenda behind the polio eradication campaign."
With the help of Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi, the CIA orchestrated a fake hepatitis B vaccination drive in a poor neighborhood of Abbottabad in a ruse to obtain information and DNA from Bin Laden's family to determine the Al-Qaeda leader's location.
Revelations of the plot sparked skepticism and anger towards legitimate health workers attempting to administer vaccinations, causing them to be driven out of villages, banned by some Taliban factions, and attacked and killed at escalating rates. Local opposition to vaccination efforts remains a key barrier to broad administration of the vaccine.
Usman, a father of four living in a slum of Pakistan's Bhains Colony, toldFT Magazine that, because of the Abbottabad incident, he refused to vaccinate his son Musharaf. At the age of two, Musharaf became the first polio casualty of 2013. "If the incident in Abbottabad did not happen, and these rumors didn't spread to us, we would have continued the vaccinations as we had been," he said.
Despite the near-eradication of polio across the globe, Pakistan remains one of three countries where the highly disease is endemic.
This week, the World Health Organization declared that rising polio infections in Pakistan are spreading to other countries, sparking a "public health emergency" on a global scale. The body recommended that all Pakistani residents show proof of vaccination before leaving the country.
Of the 74 new polio cases documented by the WHO this year, 59 of them were in Pakistan.
_____________________
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
A Pakistani official on Thursday slammed the CIA's fake vaccination drive in 2011 for fueling distrust of polio eradication campaigns and driving "attacks on polio workers" as the country grapples with an outbreak of this highly infectious disease.
Speaking to reporters at a press briefing, a spokesperson for Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs took direct aim at the CIA's false vaccination campaign, which was conducted as part of the hunt for Osama Bin Ladin and exposed by the Guardian in 2011.
"A fake campaign of vaccination was conducted in Pakistan in which the [International NGOs] were also used," said the spokesperson, according to a transcript from the Pakistani government. "I am referring to Dr. Shakeel Afridi's case. This further reinforced the negative perception about the agenda behind the polio eradication campaign."
With the help of Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi, the CIA orchestrated a fake hepatitis B vaccination drive in a poor neighborhood of Abbottabad in a ruse to obtain information and DNA from Bin Laden's family to determine the Al-Qaeda leader's location.
Revelations of the plot sparked skepticism and anger towards legitimate health workers attempting to administer vaccinations, causing them to be driven out of villages, banned by some Taliban factions, and attacked and killed at escalating rates. Local opposition to vaccination efforts remains a key barrier to broad administration of the vaccine.
Usman, a father of four living in a slum of Pakistan's Bhains Colony, toldFT Magazine that, because of the Abbottabad incident, he refused to vaccinate his son Musharaf. At the age of two, Musharaf became the first polio casualty of 2013. "If the incident in Abbottabad did not happen, and these rumors didn't spread to us, we would have continued the vaccinations as we had been," he said.
Despite the near-eradication of polio across the globe, Pakistan remains one of three countries where the highly disease is endemic.
This week, the World Health Organization declared that rising polio infections in Pakistan are spreading to other countries, sparking a "public health emergency" on a global scale. The body recommended that all Pakistani residents show proof of vaccination before leaving the country.
Of the 74 new polio cases documented by the WHO this year, 59 of them were in Pakistan.
_____________________
A Pakistani official on Thursday slammed the CIA's fake vaccination drive in 2011 for fueling distrust of polio eradication campaigns and driving "attacks on polio workers" as the country grapples with an outbreak of this highly infectious disease.
Speaking to reporters at a press briefing, a spokesperson for Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs took direct aim at the CIA's false vaccination campaign, which was conducted as part of the hunt for Osama Bin Ladin and exposed by the Guardian in 2011.
"A fake campaign of vaccination was conducted in Pakistan in which the [International NGOs] were also used," said the spokesperson, according to a transcript from the Pakistani government. "I am referring to Dr. Shakeel Afridi's case. This further reinforced the negative perception about the agenda behind the polio eradication campaign."
With the help of Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi, the CIA orchestrated a fake hepatitis B vaccination drive in a poor neighborhood of Abbottabad in a ruse to obtain information and DNA from Bin Laden's family to determine the Al-Qaeda leader's location.
Revelations of the plot sparked skepticism and anger towards legitimate health workers attempting to administer vaccinations, causing them to be driven out of villages, banned by some Taliban factions, and attacked and killed at escalating rates. Local opposition to vaccination efforts remains a key barrier to broad administration of the vaccine.
Usman, a father of four living in a slum of Pakistan's Bhains Colony, toldFT Magazine that, because of the Abbottabad incident, he refused to vaccinate his son Musharaf. At the age of two, Musharaf became the first polio casualty of 2013. "If the incident in Abbottabad did not happen, and these rumors didn't spread to us, we would have continued the vaccinations as we had been," he said.
Despite the near-eradication of polio across the globe, Pakistan remains one of three countries where the highly disease is endemic.
This week, the World Health Organization declared that rising polio infections in Pakistan are spreading to other countries, sparking a "public health emergency" on a global scale. The body recommended that all Pakistani residents show proof of vaccination before leaving the country.
Of the 74 new polio cases documented by the WHO this year, 59 of them were in Pakistan.
_____________________