Polio vaccines arrived in Gaza on Monday, kicking off a campaign to vaccinate more than 640,000 Palestinian children to prevent a potential outbreak, the United Nations (UN), Israel and Gaza health authorities confirmed. Vaccination begins after the first case of this disease was confirmed in the afflicted enclave in the past 25 years.
UNICEF said it had delivered 1.2 million doses of vaccines in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNRWA, the main UN aid agency for the Palestinians.
The American newspaper New York Times reported that the Ministry of Health of Gaza confirmed the arrival of vaccines and announced the start of a campaign for children under 10 years of age. However, vaccine distribution could be hampered by the conflict and Israeli bombing, which has hampered humanitarian efforts during the 10-month war.
The ministry warned that vaccination would not be enough without clean water and adequate sanitation and called for an immediate ceasefire to allow medical teams to operate across the territory.
Last week, the WHO confirmed a case of polio in a 10-month-old child in Gaza, the first case of paralysis caused by the virus in 25 years.
The Israeli agency COGAT confirmed that the vaccines were delivered through the Kerem Shalom crossing and that the campaign will be carried out in cooperation with the Israeli army during humanitarian breaks.
UNICEF and WHO appealed to all parties in the conflict to allow a seven-day ceasefire so that children can safely reach health centers, N1 writes.
E.Dz.
