UN postpones polio campaign in northern Gaza due to ‘escalating violence’

Geneva, Oct 23 (EFE).- The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday that the final phase of the polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza has been postponed due to heavy bombardments, mass displacements, and restricted access to the region.

“Due to the escalating violence, intense bombardment, mass displacement orders, and lack of assured humanitarian pauses across most of northern Gaza, the Polio Technical Committee for Gaza (…) have been compelled to postpone the third phase of the polio vaccination campaign,” WHO said in a statement.

The third and final phase of the vaccination campaign, which was set to begin Wednesday, aimed to vaccinate 119,279 children in northern Gaza.

“The current conditions, including ongoing attacks on civilian infrastructure continue to jeopardize people’s safety and movement in northern Gaza, making it impossible for families to safely bring their children for vaccination, and health workers to operate,” WHO added.

The UN health agency warned that the interruption of vaccinations could «seriously jeopardize efforts» to contain the spread of poliovirus in Gaza and neighboring countries, potentially leaving more children at risk of paralysis.

The third phase of the vaccination campaign intended to provide a second dose to children in northern Gaza, following a first round completed in September.

“However, given that the area currently approved for temporary humanitarian pauses was substantially reduced—now limited only to Gaza City, a significant decrease from the first round—many children in northern Gaza would have missed out on the polio vaccine dose.”

WHO emphasized that to interrupt poliovirus transmission, at least 90 percent of children in a community must be vaccinated, a target that cannot be achieved under the current conditions. Additionally, delaying the second dose by more than six weeks would reduce the vaccine’s effectiveness.

In central and southern Gaza, the WHO, in collaboration with other UN agencies and the Palestinian Ministry of Health, has successfully vaccinated 442,855 children, 94 percent of the target, since the second round of the campaign began on Oct. 14. EFE

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