UN agencies and local health authorities in the Gaza Strip have initiated a large-scale vaccination campaign aiming to immunize 640,000 children against polio. This effort is crucial following the detection of the first polio case in Gaza in 25 years, which has raised concerns about a potential wider outbreak.
This 10-month-old is the first confirmed case of polio in the Gaza Strip, according to the WHO. UNICEF is delivering 1.2 million doses of the polio vaccine to Gaza but says it cannot administer them without a cease-fire. pic.twitter.com/kxI07xgdak
— DW News (@dwnews) August 29, 2024
The vaccination drive is strategically planned around localized ceasefires amid ongoing conflicts between Israeli forces and Hamas, with the initial phase starting on a designated Sunday. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that successful immunization requires at least 90% of children under 10 to be vaccinated swiftly to prevent the spread of the virus.
The urgency of the campaign is underscored by the story of Abdulrahman Abu Judyan, a baby who recently contracted polio, now partially paralyzed and whose vaccination was disrupted by the conflict. His family, like many others, has faced significant displacement and hardship due to the ongoing hostilities, moving multiple times and struggling with basic needs like clean drinking water.
WHO tells UNSC: Gaza polio plan ‘not perfect’ but staff committed to rollout.
They have divided Gaza into three zones: the middle, south and north, and they will spend three days at minimum in each of those zones trying to reach 640,000 children under the age of 10.#GazaGenocide pic.twitter.com/DprdRAeiqr— “Solidarity is a verb” (@SaveSJarrah) August 30, 2024
In response to the crisis, UNICEF has managed to secure 1.3 million doses of the polio vaccine, maintaining them under strict temperature-controlled conditions to preserve their efficacy. Plans are underway to distribute an additional 400,000 doses soon.
The WHO has negotiated with Israel for temporary truces to facilitate the safe administration of the vaccine, starting in central Gaza and potentially extending to other areas. These humanitarian pauses are scheduled to allow health workers to safely reach and vaccinate children in the conflict zones.
Israel and Hamas have agreed to pause fighting in Gaza to allow the UN to roll out a polio vaccination campaign, which aims to reach 640,000 children. @DrJavidA from Medecins Sans Frontieres told us how difficult it will be to undertake this vaccine rollout. pic.twitter.com/CL7ogSGbMa
— The Project (@theprojecttv) August 30, 2024
The vaccination effort is a complex undertaking involving over 2,000 local workers and numerous fixed and outreach vaccination sites across Gaza. Each child is required to receive two rounds of the oral polio vaccine to ensure effective immunization and prevent the mutation of the virus, which could lead to new epidemics. This intensive program underscores the high stakes for not only Gaza but potentially the broader region if the virus spreads.
Major Points:
- UN agencies and local health officials in Gaza have launched a major campaign to vaccinate 640,000 children against polio, in response to the detection of the first case in 25 years.
- The vaccination efforts are coordinated with brief ceasefires in the ongoing conflict between Israeli forces and Hamas, starting with a scheduled window on an upcoming Sunday.
- The campaign’s urgency is highlighted by cases like Abdulrahman Abu Judyan’s, a baby left partially paralyzed by polio after his routine vaccination was disrupted by the conflict.
- To facilitate this massive immunization drive, 1.3 million doses of the polio vaccine have been secured by UNICEF, with an additional 400,000 doses expected soon.
- Temporary truces negotiated with Israel are crucial for the safe administration of vaccines, aiming to prevent the mutation and further transmission of the virus amidst challenging conditions in Gaza.
James Kravitz – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
