Doctor Abdul Ghani Khan was on a mission. A high official in the health ministry, he recently traveled to Pakistan's dangerous North-West Waristan Province to convince Bajaur tribal members to allow their children to be vaccinated against polio. Over 160,000 Pakistani children are vulnerable to the disease because reactionary mullahs believe polio shots are being used by the United States to sterilize the population.

Thanks to this stupid paranoia, Pakistan is one of only four polio endemic countries in the whole world. Last year, their were 39 cases in the country and medical experts fear a much bigger epidemic is on the way.

Dr. Ghani thought he had had a successful meeting with tribal leaders and was optimistic that they would allow his program to go forward. On his return trip, however, he ran into a little snag--a roadside bomb blew him to kingdom come.

No big surprise, other Pakistani health officials are now refusing to participate in the vaccination program.

Meanwhile, right here at home in the good ole "US of A" we have our own religious ignoramuses who are trying to prevent the inoculation of young girls against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer. They claim that protecting these girls will only encourage them to become sexually active.

This is the same argument they use to deny young women access to birth control pills, the "day after" pill, and abortion services. Meanwhile, teenage promiscuity and teenage pregnancy is continues to soar, particularly in the so-called Bible Belt.

There are valid reasons to be concerned about new vaccines but religious paranoia is not one of them. While the fanatics here are not yet blowing up doctors they are joining forces with the more traditional "antivaccinists" who oppose the cervical vaccine (and others including flu shots) because they believe in equally paranoid conspiracy theories about government corruption and the greed of the medical establishment.

In Pakistan and in the United States, children are being victimized by ignorance and unfortunately untold numbers will likely die before it is all over.