Voice of America News: CIA: Vaccination Programs Won’t be Used for Spying
May 20, 2014 2:55 AM
Excerpt
The White House has pledged that the CIA will no longer use vaccination programs as a cover for spying operations, three years after the agency used the ruse in Pakistan before the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
A White House spokesperson said President Barack Obama’s top counterterrorism adviser, Lisa Monaco, responded to a letter from the deans of about a dozen prominent public health schools last week who were concerned the ruse could cause serious consequences to public health efforts.
Monaco told the deans the CIA has agreed it would no longer use vaccination programs or workers for intelligence purposes. The CIA also agreed not to use genetic materials obtained through such programs…

WHO: Statement on the United States Government’s announcement on vaccination campaigns
20 May 2014
[Full text]
WHO and UNICEF appreciate the commitment by the United States Government to stop making operational use of immunization campaigns.
Immunization averts approximately 2 to 3 million deaths each year and is an essential tool in public health. Humanitarian workers and programmes, especially life-saving vaccination campaigns, should never be used by any government for intelligence or military purposes.