WHO continues polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, records giant strides

The World Health Organization’s efforts to combat polio in Gaza are underway, with 156,943 children having received their second dose of the polio vaccination.

This is part of a larger campaign aiming to reach 590,000 children under 10 years old.

Local medics and UNRWA are working to administer the vaccine over the next two weeks, building on the momentum of the first round of vaccinations in September.

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The re-emergence of polio in Gaza after 25 years is a pressing concern, especially since the virus is highly infectious and spreads through contaminated water and sewage.

Humanitarian groups blame the disruption of child vaccination programs and damage to water and sanitation systems caused by the war for the outbreak. The WHO and its partners are working to address these challenges and ensure the success of the vaccination campaign.

The poliovirus was detected in environmental samples in July 2024, and three children have since been reported with suspected acute flaccid paralysis, a common symptom of polio.

The second round of the major polio campaign started earlier in the week amid violent shelling by the IDF.

UNRWA says in a post on X,: “We cannot vaccinate children under a sky full of bombs. All parties to the conflict must respect the agreed-upon humanitarian pauses to allow the roll-out of this campaign.”