ABU DHABI // Rumours circulating among social media users about the side effects of the polio vaccine are false, Abu Dhabi Health Authority has said.
Al Ittihad, The National's sister newspaper, reported that a common myth being spread on websites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram was that children may contract polio after being given the vaccine.
A spokesman for the health authority said the oral polio vaccine has been used in this country since the 1970s and that no notable side effects had ever been observed.
The information circulating on social media stated that the US and Canada had not used this polio vaccine for years.
The spokesman said that this was because the disease had been eradicated in these countries many years ago.
He said the vaccine complies with World Health Organisation safety standards and had been thoroughly tested before it was licensed.
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