Gaza launches polio vaccination campaign targeting children under 10

GAZA CITY, Palestine

The Gaza Health Ministry has launched a polio vaccination campaign in the southern Gaza Strip, specifically targeting children under 10 years old.

The campaign began on Saturday in Khan Younis, with the aim of vaccinating over 90% of children across all regions of Gaza by September 12.

The vaccination drive, which is being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), kicked off at Nasser Hospital following a joint press conference by the organizations.

Majdi Duhair, head of the technical committee overseeing the vaccination effort, stated that the campaign will first focus on central Gaza from Sept. 1 to 4, followed by Khan Younis from Sept. 5 to 9, and will conclude in Gaza City and the northern regions from Sept. 9 to 12.

The campaign comes amid a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where ongoing conflict and a blockade have led to critical shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies. The deteriorating conditions have heightened concerns about potential outbreaks of diseases, including polio.

The urgency of the campaign was underscored by the confirmation of Gaza’s first polio case in a 10-month-old child last month. On August 16, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a seven-day humanitarian cease-fire to allow the vaccination of 640,000 children, a request that was supported by UNRWA.

The polio vaccination campaign is taking place against the backdrop of Israel's continued military attacks in Gaza, which have resulted in over 40,600 Palestinian deaths and more than 93,800 injuries since October 7.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi