Polio, the dreaded paralysing disease stamped out in the industrialised world, is spreading in Nigeria.
And health officials say in some cases, it’s caused by the vaccine used to fight it.
In July, the World Health Organisation issued a warning that this vaccine-spread virus might extend beyond Africa. So far, 124 Nigerian children have been paralysed this year – about twice those afflicted in 2008.
The polio problem is just the latest challenge to global health authorities trying to convince wary citizens that vaccines can save them. For years, myths have abounded about vaccines – that they were the West’s plan to sterilise Africans or give them Aids.
The sad polio reality fuels misguided fears and underscores the challenges authorities face.
Nigeria and other poor nations use an oral polio vaccine because it’s cheaper, easier, and protects entire communities