Several Saudi students have launched a new online campaign exhorting a boycott of anti-swine flu vaccine. The boycott call, they claim, stems from the notion that these vaccines affect the physical, mental and sexual capacity of a person. Several medical websites and forums have also published a number of articles criticizing the new vaccine against swine flu claiming that it could have a negative impact on a person's health. The websites detail the name of the vaccine and its side effects. The online forums that are in the forefront of the anti-vaccine campaign are mqataa.com, moq3e.com, whyusa.net, asir1.com, arabstart.com. The relentless campaign launched by these websites have made many parents wary of the vaccine and some are having second thoughts about sending their children to schools after they reopen in phases starting Oct. 10. Health authorities have dismissed the campaign as just rumors. “We have heard a lot of rumors about the vaccine being unsafe, but officials in the Ministry of Health have confirmed that it is safe,” said Mohammed Al-Dukhaini, Media Organizer for the specialized committee between the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education to control the spread of N1H1 among students. Al-Dukhaini spoke to Saudi Gazette exclusively about the procedures that the Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Health will take for administering the vaccines. He said that no one would be forced to take the vaccine. “It is up to the individual concerned,” he said. Students receiving emails warning them against taking the vaccine are confused. “I am confused, and I cannot believe how we could ever import such a vaccine, and take it without being aware of its side effects,” said Salha Al-Harbi, a Saudi secondary school student. Several students and their parents are demanding an official assurance on the vaccine's safety. “We are confused because of different reports on the vaccine's safety, and there are so many rumors on the websites, and forums,” said Hind Al-Hamoud, a Syrian housewife who has two children studying in school and a daughter studying in a private university. Azza, not her real name, a 45-year-old teacher, was told by her son that the H1N1 vaccine is made by Zionists. “I'm not going to get this vaccine; God will protect us,” she said. Mosa Naser wondered why he needed to be vaccinated against swine flu. “I've driven many people to Makkah in my taxi and I haven't been infected with H1N1,” he said. “I don't need this vaccine, especially if it turns out to be true that it is contaminated,” he added. Dr. Tarik Madani, professor of internal medicine and infectious diseases at the College of Medicine at King Abdulaziz University, said, “We cannot chase everybody in the street and try to convince them to take the vaccine. Clear statements have been made by the minister of health that these vaccines have been tested and that they do not harm humans.” “The rumors are not based on scientific facts, even if they have been written in a way that sounds scientific,” he added. “Such rumors are usually concocted by a group of activists who are interested in fighting any mass vaccination campaign. One of them probably has had a personal experience which has made him believe that these vaccines are damaging to people's health,” Madani explained.
