WHO: Violence In N. Gaza Force Postponement Of Polio Vaccination Campaign
Date
10/23/2024 8:05:11 AM
(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA))
GENEVA, Oct 23 (KUNA) -- The World health Organization (WHO) and its partners stated on Wednesday that they have been compelled to postpone the third phase of the polio vaccination campaign, which was set to begin today due to intense bombardment by Occupation forces and recent mass displacement orders.
In a statement, WHO warned that a large number of children missing their dose of vaccine would jeopardize efforts to stop the spread of polio in Gaza, stressing that this could also lead to further spread of poliovirus in the Gaza Strip and neighboring countries with the risk of more children being paralyzed.
According to the Polio Technical Committee for Gaza, including the Palestinian Ministry of Health, WHO, UN Children Fund (UNICEF), UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), this final phase of the ongoing campaign aimed to vaccinate 119,279 children across northern Gaza.
WHO also warned that the reduction of safe spaces designated for humanitarian campaigns between the first and second rounds of vaccination prevented many children in various areas from completing their doses.
A delay in administering a second dose of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) within six weeks could reduce the impact of two closely spaced rounds on concurrently boosting the immunity of all children and interrupting poliovirus transmission, the statement stressed.
WHO noted that the second round of the polio immunization campaign in Gaza, which began on October 14th successfully immunized 442,855 children under the age of 10 in central and southern Gaza.
WHO and its partners reiterated their call for respect for international humanitarian law and the protection of civilian health workers and infrastructure.
They also stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire to ensure the completion of the campaign and save children from the threat of paralysis. (end)
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