Gaza launches massive polio vaccination drive amidst ongoing conflict

A long-awaited vaccination campaign kicked off Sunday in the war-torn Gaza Strip, aiming to immunize 640,000 children against polio. The United Nations and Palestinian health authorities joined forces to launch the campaign, which was made possible by brief ceasefires agreed upon by Israel and Hamas.

The urgent need for the campaign was underscored by the World Health Organisation’s confirmation last month of a polio case in Gaza, the first in 25 years. A baby was left partially paralyzed by the type 2 polio virus, prompting swift action from health officials.

The vaccination drive began in central Gaza and will expand to other areas in the coming days. To facilitate the campaign, fighting will pause for at least eight hours on three consecutive days, with the possibility of an extension to a fourth day. The first round of vaccinations is expected to take nearly two weeks to complete.

At a UN-run clinic in Deir Al-Balah, hundreds of children accompanied by family members crowded the facility, seeking protection against the debilitating virus. Medical staff efficiently administered the vaccines, marking the fingers of recipients with a pen.

Palestinian officials reported that around one million people were sheltering in Deir Al-Balah, highlighting the critical need for humanitarian efforts amidst the ongoing conflict.

“I came to the UNRWA clinic today to vaccinate my daughters against polio and God willing we won’t see any more diseases other than the diseases we are already experiencing. I hope we will go back to our homes safe and sound,” said Gaza mother Afnan Al-Muqayyad.

She stressed that polio was one of many concerns, “Skin diseases are widespread, there are no detergents, detergents are very expensive and we can’t afford them. Also, the food is very expensive, everything is expensive, and the children’s weight is dropping, they were fine before but now they’re becoming very thin. I hope God will set things straight,” she said.

The ongoing conflict in Gaza, which began on October 7, continues to take a devastating toll. Hamas-led fighters launched a surprise attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people.
In response, Israel’s offensive has killed over 40,000 Palestinians, largely women and children.