Gaza's Urgent Polio Vaccination Drive: 100,000 Children Immunized

In a race against time, UN officials and local health authorities in Gaza have initiated a crucial polio vaccination campaign, successfully immunizing almost 100,000 children in the first few days. This urgent effort comes in response to the detection of the first polio case in Gaza in a quarter-century, approximately seven months ago.

The campaign, which began about a day ago, aims to vaccinate 640,000 children under the age of 10 against type 2 poliovirus. This strain's reemergence is attributed to a significant drop in vaccination coverage and deteriorating sanitation conditions in the enclave since October 7, 2023.

Louise Wateridge, Senior Communications Officer for UNRWA, reported a "fantastic turnout" with long queues at health facilities offering the vaccine. On the first day alone, vaccinators reached 87,000 children, demonstrating the community's eagerness to protect their young ones.

The vaccination drive is structured in three phases, each lasting three days, targeting central, northern, and southern Gaza over approximately 11 days. A second round of vaccinations is scheduled to begin in about four weeks to ensure complete protection.

Dr. Hareen De Silva, a GP managing a primary health facility in Deir el Balah, confirmed the smooth progress of the vaccine drive. His clinic, run by the British charity UK-Med, successfully vaccinated 1,500 children in just two days.

To facilitate this critical health intervention, Hamas and the Israel Defense Forces have agreed to observe eight-hour pauses in fighting from 6 am to 3 pm during each vaccination phase. However, some military activity has been reported in designated vaccination areas, posing challenges to the campaign.

The oral polio vaccine (OPV) is being used in this campaign due to its ease of administration and effectiveness in halting virus transmission. This vaccine type has played a crucial role in global polio eradication efforts, reducing polio cases by 99% since 1988.

"We're using permanent markers to draw a line on the left hand of children who have been vaccinated. Then we go tent to tent, shelter to shelter, to find the children we haven't reached yet."

While the campaign has seen significant success, reaching the target 90% vaccination coverage remains challenging. Uncertainties about child mortality rates, family displacements, and the overall difficult circumstances in Gaza complicate efforts to estimate the exact number of children requiring vaccination.

As the global community watches, this vaccination drive in Gaza represents a critical step in preventing a potential polio outbreak that could spread across the Middle East. The success of this campaign is vital not only for the children of Gaza but also for maintaining the progress made in global polio eradication efforts over the past decades.