Vaccination Campaign To Control Polio Begins in Gaza
Gaza recently reported its first polio case in 25 years when a 10-month-old kid got his leg paralysed. This news spread like wildfire, causing concerns among doctors and residents alike. The WHO (World Health Organisation) said that the presence of one paralysis case might be a sign that hundreds of more people are infected.
After the report, Palestinian health authorities and United Nations agencies started a large-scale vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip this Sunday against the polio outbreak. The campaign began with a small number of vaccinations and aims to vaccinate 640,000 children in Gaza, the territory devastated by the Israel and Hamas War. The Health Ministry of Gaza shared over 72,600 children were vaccinated on Sunday.
The World Health Organisation shared on Thursday that Israel agrees to limited pauses in the war against Hamas to facilitate the vaccination campaign. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stated on Saturday, “Reports of a general cease-fire for the purpose of giving polio vaccines in Gaza are false”.
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Instead, Netanyahu’s officials said, Israel will allow a humanitarian corridor only for the passage of polio vaccines into Gaza. Officials further said, “Dermarcated areas will be established that will be safe for administrating the vaccines for a few hours”.
There were also some reports of Israel striking in central Gaza on Sunday morning. However, it wasn’t confirmed if anyone was killed or wounded. Israel revealed with a schedule that the pause ended on Sunday afternoon. It was also shared that vaccinations will continue through 9 September and last eight hours daily.
Health officials have expressed great fear about the polio outbreak. Garbage is piling up, and continuous bombing has sent putrid water flowing into the streets. Widespread hunger is making residents even more vulnerable to illness.
