Polio Vaccination Campaign in Northern Gaza Postponed Amid Escalating Violence.
Jerusalem:
The Polio Technical Committee for Gaza has announced the postponement of its third phase of the polio vaccination campaign due to ongoing violence and humanitarian crises in northern Gaza. The campaign, which aimed to vaccinate 119,279 children, was scheduled to start today but has been deemed unsafe amid intense bombardment and mass displacement.
Current conditions have severely hampered access for families and health workers, making it impossible to ensure the safe delivery of vaccinations. While logistics and supplies were ready, the significant reduction of areas eligible for humanitarian pauses has left many children without access to critical vaccinations.
Health officials stress that at least 90% vaccination coverage is essential to effectively interrupt poliovirus transmission. A delay in administering the second dose of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) risks increased poliovirus spread and could lead to paralysis in affected children.
In the preceding round of the campaign, which took place from 1-12 September, 442,855 children under ten were vaccinated in central and southern Gaza, achieving 94% of the target in those areas. However, the ongoing conflict continues to threaten public health efforts, and WHO and UNICEF have called for immediate humanitarian pauses to allow vaccination teams to reach children safely.
The organizations urge all parties to protect civilians and healthcare infrastructure, reiterating the need for a ceasefire to facilitate the continuation of essential health services and prevent further spread of poliovirus.
