Gaza launches polio vaccination campaign targeting 600,000 children

GAZA CITY, Palestine

A large-scale polio vaccination campaign was launched in Gaza on Saturday aiming to immunize approximately 600,000 Palestinian children under the age of 10.

The campaign is being conducted in collaboration with the Gaza Health Ministry, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).

In a statement, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said "another large scale vaccination campaign against polio started today (Saturday).”

“Like in previous rounds and together with our partners, we aim to reach nearly 600,000 children under the age of 10 across the Gaza Strip,” said Lazzarini.

He said “over 1,700 UNRWA team members will take part in this campaign across our health centers and mobile points.”

The ministry had announced the campaign's launch earlier this week, citing concerns over the resurgence of polio after traces of the virus were found in sewage systems.

It said the vaccination drive would last for three days, with the possibility of an extension by two more days if necessary.

In August 2024, Gaza’s Health Ministry confirmed the first polio case in the territory in a 10-month-old child.

The discovery prompted the first vaccination campaign amid the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza, which was carried out in two phases starting in September.

According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the first phase, completed on Sept. 12, immunized over 560,000 Palestinian children. The second phase concluded on Nov. 7, vaccinating 556,774 children under 10 years old across the Gaza Strip.

The UN says children in Gaza require two doses of the oral polio vaccine for adequate protection.

The outbreak of polio is among the many health crises resulting from Israel’s military assault on Gaza, which lasted for over 15 months before a ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19.