Gaza Vaccination Campaign: 72,000 Children Immunized Despite Ongoing Conflict
The particular emergency program of the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza that started yesterday was announced to be highly successful. Throughout the day, 72,500 children below the age of five were vaccinated. Especially when the Israelites are still launching an attack on Gaza, this campaign, which started on September 1, 2024, is necessary. However, the situation was critical, and medical teams got 72,611 children below the age of 10 with vaccines, which signified the start of the exercise.
On Sunday, the Health Ministry announced the news on the social telegram channel, stating that the campaign had started successfully. In total, Palestinian parents, thousands took their kids to the intended vaccination centers, a clear testimony of the need for life-saving vaccines. This drive is crucial, especially since Gaza suffers from a humanitarian crisis, and the situation is still tense.
The World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the Near East have endorsed the vaccination drive. It began at Nasser Hospital with these organizations’ open press conference, stressing the need for the campaign in these conditions of the region. Majdi Duhair, head of the technical committee overseeing the campaign, outlined the schedule: central Gaza Strip from 1-4 September, Khan Younis from 5 -9 September, and Gaza City and the northern areas from 9 -12 September.
The medical teams have also noted that many of the vaccinated children have signs of exhaustion and malnutrition, which is due to the poor living conditions and nearly 11 months of Israeli military attacks. This has created a near-famine situation where most people are unable to access adequate provisions such as Food, clean and Safe water, and medical essentials, not to mention the increased risks of diseases such as polio.
This vaccination campaign is needed even more so following the verification, earlier in December, of polio in the Gaza Strip after the first case was confirmed in 25 years. Last month, a ten-month-old child received his diagnosis, and this led to an international freakout. On August 16, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, had urged for a seven-day humanitarian deliveries pause so that 640000 children could be vaccinated, a request with which UNRWA would lend their support.
This is well and truly the case when it comes to the following campaign, which is unfolding in the shadow of increasing numbers of victims and growing levels of suffering in Gaza. Thus, owing to the Israeli conflict that started on October 7, 2023, over 40,700 Palestinians have been killed and more than 94 thousand injured. The situation remains grim, and the suffering and indications that the people of this region require the assistance of humanitarian organizations and disease control.
The polio vaccination campaign is a measure taken to address the health challenges caused by the persisting conflict and worsening situation in the Gaza Strip. The commitment of international organizations and the clear desire of local medical groups are about safeguarding the health of children in Gaza while facing an incomparably complicated reality.
