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The world nearly beat polio. But fake records, an imperfect vaccine and missteps aided its comeback

AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN, AUG 5 – Falsified immunization data and reliance on an imperfect oral vaccine hinder eradication efforts, with 99 cases reported last year in Afghanistan and Pakistan, experts say.

  • Rebounding from a more than 99% decline, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative saw cases hit 99 last year and missed six eradication deadlines.
  • Amid pressure, Polio campaign managers instructed workers to falsely mark children as immunized, according to senior polio officials and documents.
  • The Global Polio Eradication Initiative has vaccinated 3 billion children and spared about 20 million from paralysis, operating on about $1 billion annually, said Roland Sutter.
  • A mother of five said she’d prefer vaccination, but her family faces threats over allowing polio drops, and Saleem Khan’s grandchildren were vaccinated despite objections.
  • Most public health experts agree the oral vaccine should be pulled as soon as possible, with Dr. T. Jacob John calling for a major course correction at WHO, and Scott Barrett calling for an inquiry.
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Winnipeg Free Press broke the news in Winnipeg, Canada on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.
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