Second Round of Polio Vaccinations Start Amid Israeli Bombing Campaigns

Gaza, Palestine — Monday, October 14, marked the beginning of the second round of a massive effort to vaccinate nearly 600,000 Palestinian children amidst an ongoing genocide in Gaza. After poliovirus type 2 appeared in the Gaza Strip in July 2024 for the first time in 25 years, the vaccination program started in September with the first of two doses of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) vaccine.

From the Deir Al-Balah Health Center, Sam Rose, the Deputy Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, told Unicorn Riot that they hope to vaccinate “every child under ten in Gaza.”

As Israeli forces have killed more than 16,750 Palestinian children in Gaza since October 7, 2023, public health problems have mounted among displaced civilians. The Palestinian Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), and others organized the emergency vaccine drives.

Sam Rose, Deputy Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, speaks in front of the Deir Al-Balah Health Center during the second polio vaccination drive in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 14, 2024.

Deputy Director Rose said that “to vaccinate children offensively to ensure they have effective immunity against polio, we need two doses of the vaccine administered to the children. So, this is the second and final round of the campaign.”

Unicorn Riot was on the ground for the first round in September, see our video below and report here.

The second vaccination drive comes as Israel has increased its bombing campaigns, continues to stop aid delivery into Gaza and has run an Israeli military blockade on northern Gaza, trapping 400,000 Palestinians since the beginning of October.

Palestinian Health Ministry employee Donia Shehata said that she felt people saw the importance of getting the vaccine “as it’s the only way to avoid this disease.”