The polio vaccination campaign began this Saturday, August 31, 2024 in the central Gaza Strip, after the war-ravaged territory recorded its first case of the disease in a quarter of a century.
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Health officials in the Hamas-ruled territory, together with the UN and NGOs, “They are starting the polio vaccination campaign in the central region today”said Mousa Abed, director of primary care at the Gaza Ministry of Health.
Recently, The first case of the disease in 25 years was confirmed, affecting a 10-month-old baby.
Due to the war, which began on October 7 after Hamas’ attack on Israel, The UN sent 1.2 million vaccines to be administered orally.
Parents of children who received the first dose of two drops – two doses are needed, one month apart – told AFP they feared epidemics.
Humanitarian pauses in Gaza
On Thursday, The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that Israel has agreed to a series of three-day “humanitarian pauses” in central, southern and northern Gaza to vaccinate more than 640,000 children under the age of 10. The agency had initially said the campaign would start on Sunday.
According to the UN, “coverage of at least 90% is needed in all phases of the campaign to stop the epidemic.”
Poliovirus is highly infectious and is most often spread through sewage and contaminated water, an increasingly common problem in Gaza, with much of the infrastructure destroyed.
The disease primarily affects children under the age of five. It can cause deformities and paralysis, and is potentially fatal.
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Source: https://www.noticiascaracol.com/mundo/inician-jornadas-de-vacunacion-contra-poliomielitis-en-gaza-tras-registrarse-primer-caso-rg10
