Polio Vaccination Campaign Resumes in Northern Gaza
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the restart of the final phase of a two-stage polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza on Saturday, BBC reports.
This phase had been postponed in October due to ongoing intense Israeli bombardments, mass displacement of people, and challenges in accessing the region.
Gaza reported its first polio case in 25 years in August, resulting in paralysis for a baby boy, which led to the urgent initiation of the vaccination program. The resumption of immunizations comes amid a dire humanitarian situation in north Gaza, described as “apocalyptic” by 15 UN and humanitarian organizations nearly a month after the Israeli ground offensive began.
A humanitarian pause in hostilities has been agreed upon to facilitate the vaccination efforts in Gaza City. The campaign is set to run for three days, aiming to vaccinate children under 10 years old. However, the WHO reported that approximately 15,000 children in northern towns such as Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Beit Hanoun remain inaccessible, which could hinder the campaign’s overall effectiveness.
Originally, the WHO targeted immunizing 119,000 children in the area with a second dose of the oral polio vaccine. However, due to access constraints, achieving this target is now viewed as unlikely. During the first round of the campaign, 559,000 children were successfully vaccinated across south, central, and northern Gaza between September 1 and 12, during which local “humanitarian pauses” were negotiated.
Medical experts have underscored the urgency of administering the second vaccine dose, warning that delays may jeopardize efforts to stop the transmission of polio, a contagious and potentially deadly disease. To effectively interrupt the disease’s transmission, at least 90% of children need to receive two doses of the vaccine.
The situation in northern Gaza has been marked by significant violence, with hundreds reported killed since the Israeli military initiated its ground offensive against Hamas on October 6, following a deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7 that left approximately 1,200 people dead and 251 others taken hostage. The ongoing conflict has led to the evacuation of at least 100,000 people from northern Gaza towards Gaza City for safety, while the UN estimates that around 100,000 residents remain in dire conditions, facing severe shortages of food, water, and medical supplies.
In light of the deteriorating humanitarian situation, the United States has urged Israel to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, warning that failure to do so could result in cuts to American military assistance.
