WHO sends over 1 million polio vaccines to Gaza children

CAIRO – 8 August 2024: The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday that it is sending over 1 million polio vaccines to the besieged Gaza Strip, which will be administered in the coming weeks.

It added that the detection of polio in Gaza’s wastewater indicates that the virus has been circulating in the community, posing a risk to unvaccinated children.

To ensure these operations are carried out safely and effectively, WHO said that there is a need for unrestricted movement for health workers and medical equipment.

A ceasefire or, at a minimum, "days of tranquility" during the preparation and delivery of the vaccination campaigns is essential to protect Gaza's children from polio.

On July 29, 2024, the Palestinian Ministry of Health has declared an outbreak of polio in the Gaza Strip and held Israel responsible.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said on Wednesday that thanks to Thanks to the UNICEF for providing the vaccines and in close partnership with the WHO, the UNRWA has vaccinated 80% of children in Gaza since the conflict began on October 7, 2023.

This effort has been crucial in curbing the spread of preventable diseases despite the inhumane living conditions and overcrowded shelters, he added.

With thx to @UNICEF for providing the vaccines and in close partnership with @WHO, @UNRWA vaccinated 80% of children in #Gaza since the war began.
This helped curb the spread of preventable diseases despite the inhumane living conditions + overcrowded shelters & places of…

— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) August 7, 2024

On the same day, however, Dr. Hamid Jafari, Director of the Polio Eradication Program at the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, confirmed the outbreak of type 2 polio in Gaza, caused by the spread of sewage in the streets due to the war and contaminated drinking water. Efforts are being made to vaccinate children and provide polio vaccines in Gaza.