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U.N. Launches Vaccination Campaign in Gaza Amid Conflict
The U.N. has initiated a critical vaccination campaign in Gaza, aiming to protect vulnerable populations amid ongoing conflict. This effort seeks to address urgent health needs and ensure access to essential vaccines during a challenging humanitarian crisis.
U.N. Agencies Launch Vaccination Campaign in Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict
The United Nations aid agencies are set to initiate a significant vaccination campaign across Gaza starting this Sunday. This effort aims to safeguard young children from a rare strain of polio, following successful negotiations with Israel to implement temporary pauses in combat operations for several hours daily in specific areas.
This ambitious vaccination drive faces daunting logistical hurdles, especially in a war-torn region where much of the essential infrastructure has been severely damaged. The success of this operation hinges on the reliability of the brief cease-fires while the rule of law remains tenuous. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands of individuals are currently residing in temporary shelters, with many buildings reduced to rubble.
Tragically, this initiative comes too late for at least one infant boy who was diagnosed with poliovirus type-2 earlier this month. This case marks the first confirmed instance of polio in Gaza since the disease was largely eradicated in most parts of the world during the 1990s.
In a concerted effort, the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) and UNICEF, the U.N. children’s fund, have successfully delivered over 1.2 million doses of polio vaccine sourced from Indonesia. These vaccines are intended for approximately 640,000 children under the age of 10 in Gaza. An additional 400,000 doses are already en route.
According to Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, the leading W.H.O. representative in Gaza, a minimum of 90 percent of these children must be vaccinated to effectively halt the transmission of this disease. To achieve this ambitious vaccination goal, a dedicated workforce comprising around 2,100 health and community aid workers will be deployed across Gaza. They will operate from approximately 700 medical facilities, mobile clinics, and shelters.
The polio vaccination will be administered during a staggered pause in military operations, which is set to last for nine hours each day over the course of three days in designated areas across Gaza’s three primary regions: north, south, and central.