Immunization Newsbriefs (c) Copyright Information Inc., Bethesda, MD. Brought to you by the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii). Visit NNii's new website at http://www.immunizationinfo.org.
------------------------------------------------------------
July 26, 2002
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Aid Workers Say Suspicion of Westerners Hampering Vaccination Program in Afghanistan" Associated Press (www.ap.org) (07/26/02); Dodds, Paisley
United Nations workers charged with the task of eradicating polio from Afghanistan have been confronted with a new challenge: convincing remote villagers that the immunization program is not really a massive sterilization project plotted by Westerners. Haji Abdul Nadir, a Kandahar businessman, said that he believes the polio vaccine weakens the human reproductive system, and that many people there believe that Westerners are using it as a means to halt the Muslim generation. Afghanistan's deserts, mountains, and landmine-filled roads have hampered aid workers' efforts to reach isolated settlements for immunization programs; however, distrust has added to the problem, and some aid workers note that suspicion of Westerners has grown following botched U.S. military operations.
ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND
MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION
PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS
OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR
LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND
COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH
YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.