How a fake vaccination campaign compromised global public health efforts

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: To find Osama bin Laden, the CIA allegedly used a fake hepatitis B vaccine program in Pakistan. The mission failed to find him, but the fallout was devastating: it fueled deep suspicion of medical workers and triggered a resurgence of polio in the region.

In the hunt for Osama bin Laden, the CIA reportedly ran a covert operation in Pakistan using a fake hepatitis B vaccination program. To obtain DNA for comparison with his sister's—who passed away in Boston in 2010—the objective was the unlawful acquisition of blood specimens. It is claimed that Shakil Afridi, a Pakistani doctor acting as Jamrud Hospital's lead surgeon, was recruited for this mission.

The mission was ultimately unsuccessful in locating bin Laden and resulted in significant geopolitical and humanitarian consequences. The program was widely condemned by international organizations, including Doctors without Borders and InterAction. In 2013, twelve American deans of public health schools sent a letter to President Obama condemning the operation. The fallout included the expulsion of Save the Children from Pakistan in September 2012, after the organization had worked there for 30 years.

The most lasting damage may be to public health itself. The program increased vaccine hesitancy in Pakistan, as international immunization drives were increasingly perceived as covers for American espionage. This distrust contributed to the re-emergence of polio in Pakistan, which by 2014 had the largest number of polio cases in the world. In response to the backlash, the CIA directed in August 2013 that the agency would no longer make operational use of vaccination programs or exploit genetic material acquired through them.

Shakil Afridi's legal saga remains complex. While initially sentenced to 33 years in prison in May 2012 for treason and ties to a local Islamist warlord, his sentence was overturned in August 2013 due to judicial errors. However, he remained in custody on other charges, including a murder charge related to a patient treated eight years prior.

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