Humanitarian pause allows first phase of Gaza’s polio vaccination campaign
Polio, once the world’s leading cause of paralysis, is a deadly viral disease with no cure, only prevention. Children in conflict zones like the Gaza Strip are particularly at risk, living in crowded conditions without adequate water, sanitation or medical care.
When the highly contagious poliovirus is discovered in Gaza’s sewage in July 2024, it will only be a matter of time before we see several cases of polio paralysis, the first in the Gaza Strip in 25 years.
To stop the spread of the epidemic and protect children already weakened by nearly a year of bombing, displacement and severe shortages, UNICEF and partners organized an emergency polio immunization campaign.
During the second polio campaign in Gaza in October 2024, almost 443,000 children under the age of 10 were vaccinated against polio. Approximately 358,000 children between the ages of 2 and 10 were also given vitamin A to boost their immune systems. “There is a serious shortage of medicines in Gaza,” said Rami Ashoah, who brought her baby to the clinic to be vaccinated. “We thank all donor countries for providing these vaccines and essential medicines.” © UNICEF/UNI668431/Elbaba
By late August, UNICEF had successfully dispatched 1.2 million doses of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) to the Gaza Strip. Mobile and transport teams began vaccinating children under the age of 10 on September 1st. Some 560,000 children were vaccinated during the 12-day campaign, which would not have been possible without a coordinated humanitarian stoppage.
Adel Khodor, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: “Preparing for this ambitious campaign and securing a pause was not easy, but it allowed supplies to flow into the Strip, silenced strikes and ensured that civilian “We have shown that it is possible to protect people.” “You just have to have the will.”
Preparing for this ambitious operation and securing these suspensions was not easy, but it was possible to allow supplies to flow into the Strip, silence strikes, and protect civilians. is shown. You just need to have the will. — Adel Coder, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa
Since the start of Gaza’s second round of polio control on October 14, approximately 443,000 children under the age of 10 have been vaccinated against polio in south-central Gaza, which is below the target number for these areas. This corresponds to approximately 94%. Approximately 358,000 children received immune-boosting vitamin A supplements as part of an effort to integrate polio vaccine supplies with other health services in the Gaza Strip.
Melanie Galvin, director of health and nutrition at UNICEF Palestine, said on October 15 that vitamin A “probably protects 15% to 25% (of children) from dying from various diseases to which they would otherwise be susceptible.” he said. “We are expecting great results and so far we are very happy with the number of parents who have come and who are coming here to get vaccinated. is truly a victory of hope for the future of their children.”
Current conditions in northern Gaza make it impossible for families to safely take their children for vaccinations and for health workers to receive surgeries.
On October 23, UNICEF and the World Health Organization announced that the final phase of a vaccination campaign aimed at delivering second doses of polio vaccine to more than 119,000 children across northern Gaza was delayed due to the outbreak. The date was announced as being postponed. Violence, heavy shelling, mass evacuation orders, and lack of a reliable humanitarian shutdown.
The current situation, including continued attacks on civilian infrastructure, continues to jeopardize the safety and movement of people in northern Gaza, making it difficult for families to safely take their children for vaccinations and for health workers to making activities impossible.
We now face the risk of paralyzing more children as the poliovirus spreads across the Gaza Strip and neighboring countries. — James Elder, UNICEF spokesperson
Delaying the second dose of nOPV2 to within six weeks reduces the impact of two closely spaced doses in boosting immunity in all children and stopping the spread of the virus.
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder warned: “Efforts to stop poliovirus transmission in the Gaza Strip will be seriously compromised if a significant number of children are unable to receive their second vaccination.” did. “We now face the risk of the poliovirus spreading in the Gaza Strip and neighboring countries, paralyzing many more children.”
Hundreds of mobile teams and social mobilizers are reaching out to displaced families across informal shelters to raise awareness about the vaccination campaign and deliver polio vaccines to families in Gaza. Children will remain unprotected from poliovirus until the humanitarian moratorium is reinstated. © UNICEF/UNI668422/Elbaba
Until all children are protected from polio, all children will be at risk.
To stop poliovirus transmission, at least 90 percent of all children in every community and neighborhood must be vaccinated. This is a prerequisite for an effective campaign to stop the epidemic.
The resurgence of polio everywhere is a stark reminder that children everywhere will remain at risk until all forms of polio are eliminated.
UNICEF and WHO call on all stakeholders to ensure that civilians, health workers, and civilian infrastructure such as schools, shelters and hospitals are protected, to save the lives of children and to accelerate Gaza’s vaccination campaign. They are calling for an immediate ceasefire in order to move forward.
“It may take a little longer than planned, but we will get it done,” Hamish Young, UNICEF’s senior emergency coordinator, said on October 24 in al-Mawasi, in the southern Gaza Strip.
UNICEF helps immunize more than 400 million children around the world with polio each year and manages the procurement and distribution of more than 1 billion doses of polio vaccine each year, representing more than 50% of the world’s oral polio vaccines. Masu. Your contribution could make a difference. Please donate today.
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