By G. Mudalige, Jadetimes News
In response to the recent resurgence of polio in Gaza, Israel has agreed to a series of humanitarian pauses to allow a vital vaccination campaign aimed at immunizing 640,000 children. The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the campaign will commence this Sunday, following reports of a 10-month-old baby being partially paralyzed by the first polio case in Gaza in 25 years.
The vaccination drive will be conducted in three phases across the Gaza Strip—central, southern, and northern regions. During each phase, fighting will pause for three consecutive days, from 06:00 to 15:00 local time, to enable safe vaccine administration. WHO officials stress that achieving 90% vaccination coverage across the strip is crucial to halting the virus's spread. With 1.26 million doses of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) already in Gaza and an additional 400,000 doses expected, the campaign's success relies on adherence to these agreed pauses.
The ongoing conflict complicates the campaign, which will be executed by UN and local health workers. While facilitating these humanitarian pauses, the Israeli government insists that they should not be seen as a ceasefire. Hamas has also expressed its readiness to cooperate, recognizing the campaign's importance for the health of Gaza's children.
The international community has largely supported this initiative. James Kariuki, the UK deputy permanent representative to the UN, welcomed the plan but emphasized the need for sufficient pause duration to achieve the 90% vaccination target. The WHO has secured an additional fourth day of vaccination if required to meet this goal. The reemergence of polio in Gaza underscores the impact of conflict on public health. Before the escalation of hostilities, immunization rates in Gaza and the occupied West Bank were among the highest in the region, with 99% polio vaccine coverage in 2022. However, recent conflict has caused a decline in vaccination rates, leaving many children vulnerable.
As the vaccination campaign begins, it represents a critical effort to protect the health of Gaza’s children amid ongoing violence. The world will be closely watching to see if these fragile humanitarian pauses can hold, ensuring the safe delivery of vaccines to those in need.
