WHO exceeds Polio vaccination targets in Gaza despite raging attacks by Israel

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday that it is ahead of its targets for polio vaccinations in Gaza, having inoculated about a quarter of children under 10 by the third day of its mass campaign.

The initiative was expedited following the detection of Gaza’s first polio case in a baby last month.

The vaccination campaign operates during eight-hour daily pauses in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in designated areas of the besieged enclave.

Rik Peeperkorn, WHO’s representative for the Occupied Palestinian territories, reported that more than 161,000 children under 10 in central Gaza were vaccinated in the first two days, surpassing the initial projection of around 150,000. T

This number represents about 25% of the total target population for the campaign, which aims to prevent the spread of polio, a disease that can cause paralysis and even death in young children.

“Up until now things are going well,” Peeperkorn said, adding that “these humanitarian pauses, up until now they work. We still have 10 days to go.”

The WHO emphasized that at least 90% of Gazan children need to be vaccinated to ensure the campaign’s success and to prevent the spread of polio within Gaza and across borders.

The health teams plan to shift their focus to southern Gaza later this week, where they aim to vaccinate around 340,000 children, followed by efforts in northern Gaza. Peeperkorn noted that some children in southern Gaza may be outside the agreed pause zones, and negotiations are ongoing to reach them.