In the next phase of the vaccination campaign, the World Health Organization (WHO) aims to vaccinate 340,000 children under ten years of age in Gaza. This comes after the successful completion of the first phase, where over 187,000 children in central Gaza were vaccinated to help curb an outbreak of polio. The city recently saw its first case of polio in 25 years, highlighting the urgent need for vaccination efforts.
Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, the WHO Representative for the territory, commended the efforts despite the challenging conditions in Gaza due to the ongoing conflict. He emphasized the importance of all parties respecting the humanitarian pauses to allow for vaccination activities to continue.
The first phase of the campaign involved over 2,180 health and community workers and was conducted between Sept. 1 and Sept. 3. The Israeli military and Hamas fighters agreed to temporary humanitarian pauses to facilitate the vaccinations.
As the second phase begins, the WHO plans to vaccinate 340,000 children in southern Gaza starting on Sept. 5. A third phase targeting around 150,000 children in northern Gaza is scheduled to start on Sept. 9.
With the detection of the polio virus in environmental samples, the WHO stresses the importance of achieving a 90 percent vaccination rate in each round to prevent the spread and re-emergence of the disease. Polio is a highly contagious disease that affects nerve cells in the spinal cord and brainstem.
While the polio campaign is a crucial step in curbing disease outbreaks, other health challenges persist in Gaza. Diseases like hepatitis A are spreading, emphasizing the need for comprehensive healthcare interventions in the region.
