In brief
In a remarkable push amidst turmoil, thousands of children in Gaza City received their second polio vaccine dose over the weekend despite challenges posed by intensified Israeli bombardment and urgent evacuation orders in northern regions of Gaza. The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF reported that while the campaign was initially set to launch on October 23, it faced delays due to the uncertainty surrounding safe conditions for health workers.
The first vaccination round took place in September, but ongoing military action against Hamas has impeded further efforts in the northern territories. U.N. officials acknowledged that around 15,000 children under the age of 10 in northern towns remain unreachable and will miss out on this critical campaign, thus undermining its overall effectiveness.The Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), an Israeli governmental body managing policies in Gaza and the West Bank, stated that approximately 58,604 children under 10 have been successfully vaccinated since the renewed campaign commenced a day prior. They expressed their commitment to support a thorough vaccination effort moving forward. The Gazan Health Ministry corroborated these figures, and the vaccination initiative is expected to continue through Monday, underlining the critical need for public health measures amidst ongoing conflict.
