Jail for Belgians Who Reject Polio Shot

By MARIA CHENG, AP Medical Writer, Medicine & Health / Other

In this image made available from the World Health Organization Tuesday March 11, 2008 a Muslim pilgrim to the Hajj , right, is given polio vaccine in Peshawar Pakistan late 2007. As doctors struggle to eradicate polio worldwide, one of their biggest problems is convincing parents to vaccinate their children against the paralyzing and sometimes fatal disease. When parents in poor countries like Nigeria refuse, officials usually redouble their efforts to persuade them the vaccine is safe. (AP Photo/WHO)

(AP) -- As doctors struggle to eradicate polio worldwide, one of their biggest problems is persuading parents to vaccinate their children. In Belgium, authorities are resorting to an extreme measure: prison sentences.

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