SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A polio worker gives polio vaccine drops to a child in Islamabad February 26, 2014. (Photo: STRINGER/PAKISTAN / REUTERS)
Pakistan: CIA's Fake Vaccination Ploy to Hunt Bin Laden Sparked Polio Epidemic
Foreign Ministry spokesperson says CIA's 2011 plot has sparked hostility to vaccination drives and hampered efforts to stem outbreak of highly infectious disease
May 09, 2014
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, told FT 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.
_____________________
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
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. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
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, told FT 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.
_____________________
Sarah Lazare
Sarah Lazare was a staff writer for Common Dreams from 2013-2016. She is currently web editor and reporter for In These Times.
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, told FT 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.
_____________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.