Polio vaccination begins on a large scale in the Gaza Strip

On September 1, the health department of the Gaza Strip in Palestine announced that a large-scale polio vaccination campaign has been launched in the Gaza Strip.

This large-scale vaccination is targeted at children from newborns to 10 years old. It is expected that 640,000 children in the Gaza Strip will participate in the vaccination. The vaccination work will first be carried out in central Gaza, and then in southern and northern Gaza, involving a total of two doses of vaccines. Nearly 400 vaccination sites will be set up successively across the Gaza Strip. At the same time, nearly 300 medical teams will go to local communities, streets, refugee camps and other places where children gather to carry out vaccination work.

Previously, the first polio case in 25 years appeared in the Gaza Strip. It was a 10-month-old baby boy who has now developed leg paralysis. The World Health Organization said that this means there may be hundreds of infected cases in the Gaza Strip.

To promote the safe conduct of the vaccination campaign, the health department of the Gaza Strip and Hamas have called for a comprehensive ceasefire. The Hamas media office issued a statement on August 31 saying that vaccination requires a safe environment. The continuous military operations of the Israeli army pose a threat to local civilians. Hamas condemned this and also condemned the Israeli army for creating a harsh environment for the formation of the polio virus in Gaza. However, the office of the Israeli prime minister issued a statement late at night on the 31st, once again denying that Israel will implement a comprehensive ceasefire for vaccination. The statement said that Israel will only allow vaccination personnel to use the so-called "humanitarian corridor" and at the same time allow the establishment of some "safe zones" at specific times for vaccination. Local media said that for Israel, it is only a tactical pause for a limited time in a limited area. Outside of this, the actions of the Israeli army will continue.

Polio, commonly known as infantile paralysis, is an acute infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. It is often transmitted to unvaccinated people through sewage, especially children under 5 years old. In severe cases, it may cause paralysis or death. There is currently no cure for this disease. Vaccination is the most economical and effective way to prevent polio.

This vaccination campaign faces many challenges. The United Nations estimates that about 65% of the road network in the Gaza Strip has been destroyed. Of the 36 hospitals in the local area, 19 have ceased operations. Due to attacks on convoys by the Israeli army, rescue organizations have to suspend their trips out of safety concerns. But all parties are still working hard to promote vaccination work to protect the health of children in the Gaza Strip. Michael Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Program, emphasized that the vaccination rate needs to reach at least 90% in each round to stop the polio outbreak and its international spread. At present, all parties have not reached an agreement on the second round of vaccination arrangements and a temporary ceasefire.