Amid Ongoing Bombardment, Gaza Strives for Second Round of Polio Vaccination
Gaza Strip, Palestine — This summer, the polio virus was detected in the Gaza Strip for the first time in 25 years as a result of conditions caused by Israel’s ongoing assault on the territory’s 2.1 million residents.
Public health agencies, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and the World Health Organization (WHO), responded with a wide-reaching vaccination effort, recognizing the urgent need to stem the transmission of the disease which spreads quickly in unsanitary conditions like those imposed on Gaza’s population.
During “humanitarian pauses” in bombardments, public health workers successfully administered the vaccine to Gaza’s children in hopes of containing the spread virus. The first round of vaccinations saw nearly 560,000 children under 10-years-old receive the medicine in just under two weeks, according to the WHO.
While the first roll out of the program has been considered successful, the vaccine requires two doses to be effective. The WHO is negotiating with Israel for ceasefires in hopes of launching another vaccination push on October 14.
See our coverage of the second round of polio vaccination: Second Round of Polio Vaccinations Start Amid Israeli Bombing Campaigns
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