Polio vaccination in Gaza: UN begins campaign

United Nations agencies, in collaboration with Palestinian health authorities, launched a large-scale polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip on Sunday.

This initiative follows an agreement between Israel and Hamas for brief pauses in their 11-month conflict, after the first polio case in 25 years was detected in the region.

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a 10-month-old boy was partially paralyzed by the virus, indicating the potential for hundreds more asymptomatic cases.

Understanding Polio vaccination in Gaza

Polio, a highly contagious virus, spreads through contaminated water or food, or contact with an infected person—conditions that are rampant in Gaza due to the ongoing destruction and deteriorating public health situation.

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The immunization campaign, targeting 640,000 children, began in central Gaza and is expected to extend to other areas over the next few days. Despite the challenges posed by ongoing fighting, damaged infrastructure, and widespread displacement, the WHO aims to immunize at least 90% of Gaza’s children under ten years old within the three-day period.

UNICEF spokesperson Ammar Ammar emphasized the urgency of a ceasefire, stating that other threats, including malnutrition and the dire living conditions, also endanger the lives of Gaza’s children. The vaccinations will be administered at approximately 160 sites across the territory, with two rounds of oral polio vaccine drops.