A social post repeats the long-disproven myth that the elimination of polio was not due to vaccines but to reduced use of the pesticide DDT. The claim has persisted for years despite the fact that DDT was not used in some countries that had polio outbreaks, and outbreaks persisted—and still occur—in some countries long after DDT was banned. The post has been flagged as misinformation but remains up on the platform.
The myth that polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases are caused by environmental factors has been used to argue against the use of vaccines for decades. Messaging may explain that polio is caused by poliovirus, not by exposure to pesticides, lead, arsenic, or any other chemical. In addition, messaging may emphasize that all countries that have eradicated polio have done so using the polio vaccine.
