HQ Team
September 5, 2024: A second phase of the polio vaccination will start today in war-raved Gaza after 187,000 children under the age of 10 got oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) in the central region, in the first round, the WHO stated.
The first phase began on September 1 and lasted until the 3rd. The coverage exceeded the initial estimates target of 157,000 children due to population movement towards central Gaza, and expanded coverage in areas outside the humanitarian pause zone, according to a WHO report.
The vaccination campaign is part of a response to prevent the spread of polio after circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) was detected in Gaza, after 25 years of being polio-free.
The poliovirus has been detected in six environmental samples – or wastewater – collected from central Gaza in June 2024.
Acute Flaccid Paralysis
Gaza has reported four cases of children with acute flaccid paralysis, including one case of confirmed polio in a child who tested positive for circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2).
Two of the reported cases tested negative for poliovirus. Laboratory results are pending on samples from the fourth case.
The first phase of the campaign was conducted by 513 teams, consisting of over 2,180 health and community outreach workers. Vaccination was provided at 143 fixed sites, including hospitals, medical points, primary care centres, camps where displaced people are living and transit routes leading from central towards northern and southern Gaza.
“It has been extremely encouraging to see thousands of children being able to access polio vaccines, with the support of their resilient families and courageous health workers, despite the deplorable conditions they have braved over the last 11 months,” said Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative for the occupied Palestinian territory.
“All parties respected the humanitarian pause and we hope to see this positive momentum continue,” he said.
490 vaccine carriers
The WHO is preparing for a second roll-out. It will be conducted in southern Gaza from September 5, 2024, to September 8 targeting an estimated 340,000 children below ten years of age. About 517 teams, including 384 mobile teams, will be deployed.
Nearly 300 community outreach workers have already begun outreach to families in southern Gaza to raise awareness about the campaign, while 490 vaccine carriers, 90 cold storage boxes, and other supplies have been transferred to Khan Younis for distribution to vaccination sites.
The third and last phase of the polio vaccination campaign will be implemented in northern Gaza from September 9, 2024, to September 11, targeting around 150,000 children.
At least 90% vaccination coverage during each round of the campaign is needed to stop the outbreak, prevent the international spread of polio and reduce the risk of its re-emergence, given the severely disrupted health, water and sanitation systems in the Gaza Strip, according to the WHO.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and United Nations Children Fund, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees and many other partners are participating in the campaign.
