CIA fake vaccination campaign in Pakistan

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During the manhunt for Osama bin Laden, the CIA ran a covert operation utilizing a fake hepatitis vaccine program in Pakistan to illicitly collect blood samples to confirm the presence of bin Laden or his family. [1] The CIA did not administer hepatitis vaccines, and instead planned to compare DNA samples collected from the program with the DNA of bin Laden's sister, who died in Boston in 2010. [1]

Contents

The program was ultimately unsuccessful. It led to the arrest of a participating physician, Shakil Afridi, and was widely ridiculed as undermining public health. [2] [3] The program is credited with increasing vaccine hesitancy in Pakistan [4] [5] [6] [7] and a rise in violence against healthcare workers for being perceived as spies. [8] The rise in vaccine hesitancy following the program led to the re-emergence of polio in Pakistan, with Pakistan having by far the largest number of polio cases in the world by 2014. [8]

Aftermath

In September of 2012, after working for 30 years in Pakistan, Save the Children was expelled. [9]

In 2011, the program was condemned by Doctors without Borders. [9] In Feb 2012, the program was condemned by the non-governmental organization InterAction. [9] On January 6, 2013, the deans of twelve American schools of public health sent a letter to Obama condemning the program. [10] [9]

On May 16, 2014, Lisa Monaco responded that vaccine programs would be excluded from espionage: [11] [12]

I wanted to inform you that the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) directed in August 2013 that the agency make no operational use of vaccination programs, which includes vaccination workers. Similarly, the Agency will not seek to obtain or exploit DNA or other genetic material acquired through such programs. This CIA policy applies worldwide and to U.S. and non-U.S. persons alike.

See also

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Osama bin Laden was a Saudi Arabian-born Islamist dissident and militant leader who was the founder and first general emir of al-Qaeda, a militant terrorist organization espousing Islamism, pan-Islamism and jihadism. Bin Laden participated in the Afghan mujahideen's jihad against the Soviet Union during the Soviet–Afghan War, and supported the Bosnian mujahideen during the Yugoslav Wars. Opposed to the United States' foreign policy in the Middle East, Bin Laden declared war on the U.S. in 1996. He supervised international terrorist attacks against Americans, including the September 11 attacks inside the U.S. in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polio</span> Infectious disease caused by poliovirus

Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 75% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe symptoms develop such as headache, neck stiffness, and paresthesia. These symptoms usually pass within one or two weeks. A less common symptom is permanent paralysis, and possible death in extreme cases. Years after recovery, post-polio syndrome may occur, with a slow development of muscle weakness similar to what the person had during the initial infection.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polio vaccine</span> Vaccine to prevent poliomyelitis

Polio vaccines are vaccines used to prevent poliomyelitis (polio). Two types are used: an inactivated poliovirus given by injection (IPV) and a weakened poliovirus given by mouth (OPV). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends all children be fully vaccinated against polio. The two vaccines have eliminated polio from most of the world, and reduced the number of cases reported each year from an estimated 350,000 in 1988 to 33 in 2018.

The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization. It was founded in the UK in 1919, the goal being to improve the lives of children worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vaccine hesitancy</span> Reluctance or refusal to be vaccinated or have ones children vaccinated

Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or refusal, of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services and supporting evidence. The term covers refusals to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain about their use, or using certain vaccines but not others. Although adverse effects associated with vaccines are occasionally observed, the scientific consensus that vaccines are generally safe and effective is overwhelming. Vaccine hesitancy often results in disease outbreaks and deaths from vaccine-preventable diseases. Therefore, the World Health Organization characterizes vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten global health threats.

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Osama bin Laden, the founder and former leader of al-Qaeda, went into hiding following the start of the War in Afghanistan in order to avoid capture by the United States for his role in the September 11 attacks, and having been on the FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list since 1999. After evading capture at the Battle of Tora Bora in December 2001, his whereabouts became unclear, and various rumours about his health, continued role in al-Qaeda, and location were circulated. Bin Laden also released several video and audio recordings during this time.

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Shakil Afridi, or Shakeel Afridi, is a Pakistani physician who allegedly helped the CIA run a fake hepatitis vaccine program in Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, in order to confirm Osama bin Laden's presence in the city by obtaining DNA samples. Details of his activities emerged during the Pakistani investigation of the deadly raid on bin Laden's residence. This account is disputed in a recent account of events which implies Afridi was implicated as a cover for the real CIA operative. Afridi was arrested at the Torkham while trying to flee the country days after the raid. On 23 May 2012, he was sentenced to 33 years' imprisonment for treason, initially believed to be in connection with the bin Laden raid, but later revealed to be due to alleged ties with a local Islamist warlord Mangal Bagh. Lawyers appealed against the verdict on 1 June 2012. On 29 August 2013, his sentence was overturned and a retrial ordered.

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References

  1. 1 2 Shah, Saeed (11 July 2011). "CIA organised fake vaccination drive to get Osama bin Laden's family DNA". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  2. Robbins, Anthony (November 2012). "The CIA's vaccination ruse". Journal of Public Health Policy. 33 (4): 387–389. doi:10.1057/jphp.2012.37. PMID   22932022.
  3. Vavra, Shannon (24 December 2021). "CIA's Bin Laden Vaccine Ruse Haunts Public Health Efforts". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  4. Martinez-Bravo, Monica; Stegmann, Andreas (16 February 2022). "In Vaccines We Trust? The Effects of the CIA's Vaccine Ruse on Immunization in Pakistan". Journal of the European Economic Association. 20 (1): 150–186. doi:10.1093/jeea/jvab018.
  5. "CIA's hunt for Osama bin Laden fueled vaccine hesitancy in Pakistan". New Scientist. May 11, 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  6. Iqbal, Hala (1 February 2021). "How the CIA's fake Hepatitis B vaccine program in Pakistan helped fuel vaccine distrust". Vox. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  7. Ali, Inayat (29 August 2024). Contesting Measles and Vaccination in Pakistan: Cultural Beliefs, Structured Vulnerabilities, Mistrust, and Geo-Politics. Taylor & Francis. ISBN   978-1-000-89925-2 . Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  8. 1 2 The Lancet (May 2014). "Polio eradication: the CIA and their unintended victims". The Lancet. 383 (9932): 1862. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60900-4. PMID   24881975.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "CIA Vaccination Cover in Pakistan - Bloomberg School of Public Health". John Hopkins. 8 January 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  10. Buekens, Pierre M.; Curran, James W. (January 6, 2013). "Klag letter to President Obama" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-06-02. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  11. "After bin Laden backlash, CIA promises: No more vaccination campaigns for spying". Yahoo News. 19 May 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  12. Summers, Todd; Morrison, J. Stephen (May 27, 2014). "Fake CIA Vaccine Campaign: When the End Doesn't Justify the Means". www.csis.org. Retrieved 26 August 2024.