We’re writing to make you aware of a breaking news story that will likely fuel misinformation about polio vaccination.

Today, the New York State Department of Health announced that a polio case has been detected in the state, the first case reported in the U.S. in nearly a decade. The unvaccinated young adult has developed paralysis and, according to county health officials, had not recently traveled outside the country. Based on the response to the recent detection of polio in the U.K., we expect a spike in misinformation about polio and polio vaccines in the coming weeks. This outbreak and the misinformation that is expected to follow are likely to impact polio immunization efforts worldwide.

Emerging Misinformation

Polio detection in U.S. sparks misinformation about polio vaccines

In response to the news that a vaccine-derived polio case was recently detected in Rockland County, New York, some social media users have already begun circulating misinformation about polio and polio vaccines. Early responses to the news include false claims that the case shows that vaccines are ineffective and baseless speculation that COVID-19 vaccines have weakened the immune system, causing a reemergence of poliovirus. We will continue to monitor new falsehoods as they arise.

🔴 Risk assessment: High risk

Myths about how poliovirus spreads and how polio vaccines work continue to circulate and are likely to increase after polio outbreaks in countries that have previously eliminated the disease. This pattern has been observed globally following the recent polio outbreaks in the U.K., Israel, and Malawi. 

In particular, be on the lookout for false claims suggesting that vaccines cause disease outbreaks. Often spread online by people who also campaign against COVID-19 vaccines, these claims draw on common myths around vaccine “shedding,” the idea that vaccines don’t work or cause “mutations,” and conspiracies that polio outbreaks–and even recent monkeypox outbreaks–are the result of a so-called “detoxification” process stemming from COVID-19 vaccines. 

Continuing to monitor misinformation channels and staying alert for a potential wave of misinformation related to polio is recommended, as is emphasizing in informational materials or social media posts that polio is not in any way related to COVID-19 vaccines. Providing prebunking messaging that vaccines are the key to eradicating polio worldwide is also recommended.