Health Ministry announces polio vaccination campaign in Gaza amid ongoing Israeli war

RAMALLAH: The Ministry of Health announced today its plans to launch a major polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip at the end of August. This initiative comes in response to a confirmed case of polio in the war-torn region and aims to curb the spread of the virus. The Ministry stated that it has finalized its vaccination plan, which includes organizing medical teams, establishing vaccination centers, and completing training in collaboration with UNRWA, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and other local and international organizations. The campaign will target all children under ten years old and will be conducted in two phases, with a four-week interval between each round. This approach is designed to eliminate the spread of polio in Gaza and address the outbreak effectively. Approximately 1.6 million doses will be used to vaccinate over 640,000 children, according to the Ministry, which has set up 400 fixed and mobile vaccination centers to facilitate the campaign. The Ministry emphasize d its commitment to making the campaign a success and called on international organizations to pressure Israeli authorities to halt the ongoing aggression on Gaza. This will enable medical teams to effectively vaccinate children and achieve a vaccination coverage exceeding 95%. Additionally, the Ministry urged residents of Gaza to cooperate with medical teams and visit the designated vaccination centers to help prevent further spread of the virus and work towards eradicating polio. Source: Palestine news & Information Agency - WAFA