A well being official mentioned a polio vaccination marketing campaign started in Gaza on Saturday (31 August 2024), whereas an help employee mentioned a large-scale rollout would start on Sunday (1 September 2024), coinciding with a “humanitarian pause” agreed by Israel and Hamas.
The vaccination marketing campaign was introduced after Gaza recorded its first case of polio in 1 / 4 of a century earlier this month.
Native well being officers along with the UN and NGOs “are beginning the polio vaccination marketing campaign as we speak,” mentioned Moussa Abed, director of major well being look after the Well being Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza. AFP on Saturday (August 31, 2024).
An unspecified variety of youngsters acquired the primary dose of the two-dose, orally administered vaccine at Nasser Hospital within the southern metropolis of Khan Yunis.
Amongst them was Amal Shaheen’s three-year-old daughter, who was already within the hospital receiving therapy for pneumonia. “We’ve been within the hospital for 17 days… I spend every single day worrying about her,” Shaheen mentioned.
“As we speak she was vaccinated in opposition to polio to guard her, similar to all the youngsters within the hospital have been vaccinated.”
The World Well being Group (WHO) mentioned on Thursday (29 August 2024) that Israel had agreed to a collection of three-day “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza to facilitate vaccinations, though officers had beforehand mentioned the marketing campaign was anticipated to start on Sunday (1 September 2024).
‘It isn’t a ceasefire’
A global humanitarian employee mentioned AFP that the Palestinian authorities had organized a launch occasion on Saturday (31 August 2024) and that the vaccination marketing campaign was nonetheless anticipated to start in full on Sunday (1 September 2024).
COGAT, the Israeli Protection Ministry physique that oversees civilian affairs within the Palestinian territories, mentioned on Saturday (August 31, 2024) that vaccines shall be administered each day from 6:00 am (0300 GMT) to 2:00 pm for 3 days in central Gaza, three days in southern Gaza and three days in northern Gaza.
“On the finish of every regional vaccination marketing campaign, an evaluation of the state of affairs within the space shall be carried out,” he mentioned.
The Palestinian Ministry of Well being distributed a barely totally different schedule: the vaccination program lasted 4 days in every location.
The Ministry recognized 67 vaccination facilities (principally hospitals, smaller well being facilities and colleges) in central Gaza, 59 in southern Gaza and 33 in northern Gaza.
The polio virus is extremely infectious and is most frequently unfold by sewage and contaminated water, an more and more widespread drawback in Gaza because the conflict between Israel and Hamas drags on.
The Hamas-run authorities’s media workplace in Gaza mentioned on Saturday (31 August 2024) that the vaccination marketing campaign required an “quick ceasefire”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has mentioned that measures to facilitate polio vaccinations in Gaza are “not a ceasefire.”
The marketing campaign goals to achieve greater than 640,000 youngsters beneath 10 years of age.
Michael Ryan, WHO deputy director-general, advised the UN Safety Council this week that 1.26 million doses of the oral vaccine had been delivered to Gaza, with one other 400,000 nonetheless wanted.
The Ramallah-based Palestinian Well being Ministry mentioned earlier this month that exams performed in Jordan had confirmed the presence of polio in an unvaccinated 10-month-old child in central Gaza.
The polio virus is extremely infectious and is most frequently unfold by sewage and contaminated water, an more and more widespread drawback in Gaza because the conflict between Israel and Hamas drags on.
The illness primarily impacts youngsters beneath the age of 5. It may possibly trigger deformities and paralysis and is probably deadly.
‘100% certain’
Bakr Deeb mentioned on Saturday (31 August 2024) that he took his three youngsters, all beneath the age of 10, to a vaccination level on Saturday (31 August 2024) regardless of some preliminary considerations about its security.
“At first I used to be very hesitant and scared concerning the security of this vaccine,” she mentioned.
“Following the safety ensures, and with all of the households attending the vaccination factors, I made a decision to go together with my youngsters as properly, to guard them.”
Mr Abed, a well being official, harassed on Saturday (August 31, 2024) that the vaccine was “100% protected”.
The conflict in Gaza was triggered by Hamas’ unprecedented assault on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted within the deaths of 1,199 folks, principally civilians, based on a AFP rely primarily based on official Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory army marketing campaign has killed a minimum of 40,691 folks in Gaza, based on the territory’s well being ministry. The UN human rights workplace says many of the lifeless are ladies and kids.
The relentless Israeli bombing has additionally prompted a significant humanitarian disaster and devastated the well being system.
