The World Health Organization (WHO) announced a significant milestone in its ongoing polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, reporting that 161,000 Palestinian children were vaccinated within just two days. This figure exceeded the initial target of around 156,550 children, marking a crucial step in combating the spread of the disease in the region.
Dr. Rick Peppercorn, the WHO Representative in the Palestinian Territories, shared the encouraging news during a video conference from Geneva on Tuesday. He stated that preliminary data showed 74,340 children were vaccinated on the second day of the campaign, following the successful vaccination of over 86,600 children on the first day. The vaccination drive is part of a broader initiative to safeguard the health of children in Gaza amid an ongoing public health crisis.
Polio Vaccination Campaign in Full Swing
According to Dr. Peppercorn, the vaccination campaign is set to continue until the first round is completed, with most of the remaining children in central Gaza scheduled to receive their vaccines in the coming days. Multiple teams have been deployed to larger, fixed vaccination sites across the Strip, while mobile teams are actively working to reach children in remote areas, ensuring that no child is left unvaccinated.
“The teams faced larger numbers of residents in areas like Al-Maghazi, Al-Bureij, and Al-Masdar,” Dr. Peppercorn explained, noting that high demand for vaccines in these regions necessitated additional shipments. Two extra vaccine shipments were dispatched to primary health care centers in Al-Maghazi and Al-Bureij to meet the growing needs.
High Risk of Polio Transmission
Dr. Peppercorn emphasized the importance of this campaign, noting that WHO considers there to be a high risk of poliovirus type 2 transmission both inside Gaza and internationally. Several factors contribute to this elevated risk, including significant gaps in children’s immunity due to disrupted routine vaccinations, particularly among newborns. Gaza’s deteriorating health infrastructure, ongoing population displacement, malnutrition, and damaged water and sanitation systems have further exacerbated the public health crisis, increasing the threat of polio and other diseases.
International Support for Gaza’s Vaccination Campaign
The polio vaccination campaign in Gaza has received substantial international support. Last Saturday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), directed the provision of USD 5 million to support the emergency vaccination efforts. This donation was in response to the first confirmed case of poliovirus in the Gaza Strip and is part of the UAE’s ongoing efforts to provide humanitarian relief to the Palestinian people, particularly children.
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The UAE launched the campaign on Sunday in collaboration with the WHO, UNICEF, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). The initiative aims to protect over 640,000 children from the risk of polio, starting in central Gaza and gradually expanding to the southern and northern regions of the Strip. The goal is to vaccinate 90 percent of children in Gaza, providing them with critical protection against the disease.
A Crucial Public Health Effort
The ongoing polio vaccination campaign comes at a critical time for Gaza, as the region continues to grapple with multiple humanitarian challenges. Disruptions in essential health services, exacerbated by political instability and infrastructure damage, have left many children vulnerable to preventable diseases like polio.
As Dr. Peppercorn pointed out, the successful rollout of this vaccination campaign offers hope for improving the region’s public health outlook. However, much work remains to be done to restore routine vaccination services and rebuild Gaza’s healthcare system to protect future generations.
The WHO, alongside its international partners and donors like the UAE, remains committed to supporting Gaza in its fight against polio and ensuring that children in the region receive the healthcare they urgently need.
