Polio vaccination campaign set to resume in northern Gaza: WHO-UNICEF

The third phase of the polio vaccination campaign is set to begin today in part of the northern Gaza Strip after being postponed from October 23, 2024, due to the lack of access and assured, comprehensive humanitarian pauses, intense bombardment, and mass evacuation orders. These conditions made it impossible for families to safely bring their children for vaccination and to organise campaign activities, according to a joint statement issued today by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

"The humanitarian pause necessary to conduct the campaign has been assured; however, the area of the pause has been substantially reduced compared to the first round of vaccination in northern Gaza, conducted in September 2024. It is now limited to just Gaza City", the statement said.

Around 15,000 children under the age of ten years in the towns of North Gaza like Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun remain inaccessible and will be missed during the campaign, compromising its effectiveness. To interrupt poliovirus transmission, at least 90% of all children in every community and neighbourhood must be vaccinated. This will be challenging to achieve given the situation.

"Despite the lack of access to all eligible children in northern Gaza, the Polio Technical Committee for Gaza has taken the decision to resume the campaign. This aims to mitigate the risk of a long delay in reaching as many children as possible with polio vaccine and the opportunity to vaccinate those recently evacuated to Gaza City from other parts of North Gaza,'' it added.

The campaign in northern Gaza follows the successful implementation of the first two phases of the second round in central and southern Gaza, which reached 451 216 children - 96 per cent of the target in these areas. A total of 3,64,306 children aged between 2 and 10 years have received vitamin A so far in this round.