United Nations, Nov 2 (IANS) – The third phase of the polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip is set to resume today after being postponed due to escalating violence in the region. The announcement was made in a joint statement by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), highlighting that while a humanitarian pause has been assured, the area for this pause is significantly smaller than during the initial vaccination efforts in September, now limited primarily to Gaza City.
The campaign aims to vaccinate approximately 119, 000 children under 10 in northern Gaza with the novel oral polio vaccine type 2. However, due to ongoing conflicts, around 15, 000 children in areas such as Jabalya, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun remain unreachable, jeopardizing the campaign's success.
The vaccines will be administered by 216 teams across 106 fixed sites, including 22 newly added locations to cater to displaced populations. The initial phases of this vaccination effort reached nearly 451, 200 children, achieving a 96% coverage rate in the targeted areas. However, humanitarian challenges persist, prompting warnings from officials like Louise Wateridge of the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) about the risks of polio outbreaks if the vaccination efforts are further delayeds.