New Round of Polio Vaccinations Underway in Gaza

Jerusalem, 14 October, 2024 (TPS) -- A 12-day polio vaccination campaign began today in Gaza, targeting hundreds of thousands of children across the Strip under the age of 10. Coordinated by international aid organizations and the Israeli army, this is a second round of vaccinations.

Vaccinations will take place in central Gaza on Oct. 14-17, southern Gaza on Oct. 19-22, and northern Gaza on Oct. 23-25.

Since the beginning of the war, 341,826 vials of polio vaccine, for 4,703,260 vaccines, have been transferred to Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing. An additional 16,350 vials intended for 163,500 doses were delivered to Gaza on Wednesday.

The first round of vaccinations took place in September.

Polio is a highly contagious virus that is usually caught by ingesting contaminated water or food. Severe cases can lead to paralysis, respiratory problems and death. Many countries have eradicated polio, but the virus festers in situations of poor sanitation and sewage control.

Israel’s Health Ministry in July found evidence of poliovirus type 2 in two sewage samples from the Gaza area, which it said were consistent with test results from the World Health Organization in Egypt.

At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 97 remaining hostages, more than 30 have been declared dead. Hamas has also been holding captive two Israeli civilians since 2014 and 2015, and the bodies of two soldiers killed in 2014.