Over 72,000 children in Gaza receive vaccination against polio
(MENAFN) On Sunday, Gaza’s health Ministry announced that over 72,000 children were vaccinated on the first day of a critical polio vaccination campaign, despite the ongoing Israeli offensive in the region. The ministry reported through Telegram that medical teams in the central Gaza Strip successfully administered vaccines to 72,611 children during the campaign's initial day.
Thousands of Palestinians brought their children under the age of 10 to designated vaccination centers. Observers noted that many of the children showed signs of fatigue and malnutrition, reflecting the challenging conditions they face due to the prolonged conflict with Israel, which has been ongoing for nearly 11 months.
The vaccination effort, conducted in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the UN agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), commenced at Nasser Hospital following a joint press conference. Majdi Duhair, head of the technical committee overseeing the campaign, outlined that the initial focus would be on central Gaza from September 1-4, followed by Khan Younis from September 5-9, and concluding in Gaza City and the northern regions from September 9-12.
This vaccination campaign is taking place amid a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and the Israeli blockade, which has led to critical shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies. The campaign's urgency was highlighted by the recent confirmation of Gaza's first polio case in 25 years, reported in a 10-month-old child last month. On August 16, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had called for a seven-day humanitarian cease-fire to facilitate the vaccination of 640,000 children, a call supported by UNRWA. The backdrop of the campaign is marked by continued Israeli military attacks, which have resulted in over 40,700 Palestinian deaths and more than 94,000 injuries since October 7 of the previous year.
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