Israel Agrees to Humanitarian Pauses in Gaza for Polio Vaccination Campaign
In a significant move to combat the spread of polio in Gaza, Israel has agreed to a series of “humanitarian pauses” to allow for the vaccination of children against the disease, as announced by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The vaccination campaign aims to reach around 640,000 children across the Gaza strip and is set to begin on Sunday, according to senior WHO official Rik Peeperkorn. The campaign will be rolled out in three stages across different parts of the strip, with fighting pausing for three consecutive days during each stage.
This agreement comes in the wake of Gaza’s first case of polio in 25 years, which left a 10-month-old baby partially paralyzed, as reported by UN officials. To address this urgent health crisis, around 1.26 million doses of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) are already in Gaza, with an additional 400,000 doses expected to arrive soon.
The vaccination efforts will be carried out by UN staff and local health workers, with over 2,000 personnel trained to administer the vaccine. However, UN spokeswoman Louise Wateridge emphasized the need for a ceasefire to ensure the safety and success of the vaccination program.
“We cannot vaccinate children under a sky full of bombs and strikes, we cannot vaccinate children who are fleeing for their lives,” Wateridge stated. She stressed that any military operations during the vaccination campaign would hinder their ability to reach children in need.
The WHO aims to achieve 90% vaccine coverage across Gaza to halt the transmission of the virus. An additional fourth day of vaccination and humanitarian pause is also in place if needed to reach this target. Poliovirus is highly infectious and can cause severe consequences, especially in children under five years old.
While immunization rates in Gaza and the occupied West Bank were optimal before the conflict, coverage had declined to 89% last year. The Israeli military has also started vaccinating its soldiers against polio, showing a collective effort to combat the disease.
Hamas official Basem Naim expressed readiness to cooperate with international organizations to protect Palestinian children in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarified that the pauses for vaccination were not a ceasefire, highlighting the complex dynamics at play in the region.
The UK deputy permanent representative to the UN, James Kariuki, welcomed the vaccination plan and stressed the importance of protecting vulnerable children during the campaign. Prof Hagai Levine, a spokesman for the Hostages Families Forum, urged health workers to include all individuals, including hostages, in the vaccination campaign.
As the vaccination campaign unfolds, the international community is closely monitoring the situation in Gaza to ensure the successful delivery of vaccines to children in need. The fight against polio in Gaza is a critical health priority that requires cooperation and support from all parties involved.
