In Pakistan, saying no to the COVID vaccine carries consequences

Authorities in this country of 220 million threaten those refusing to accept the shot with punishments from cutting off their cellphone connections to withholding their salaries. The penalties contrast with the prizes being dangled elsewhere in the world. A town in the Philippines is offering people who agree to be vaccinated the chance to win a cow. Some U.S. states are holding lotteries with cash prizes, while Hong Kong is giving away a multimillion-dollar apartment. Pakistan’s punitive measures vary by region—health services are largely the responsibility of the country’s four provinces—but the federal government has also announced penalties, all meant to prod a populace long suspicious of vaccines. Pakistan is one of only two countries where polio remains endemic, due largely to skepticism about the polio vaccine.
Advertisement

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Trending on HotAir Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement