Large-scale polio vaccinations begin in war-ravaged Gaza after first case in 25 years

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian health authorities and United Nations agencies on Sunday began a large-scale campaign of vaccinations against polio in the Gaza Strip, hoping to prevent an outbreak in the territory that has been ravaged by the Israel-Hamas war.

Authorities plan to vaccinate children in central Gaza until Wednesday before moving on to the more devastated northern and southern parts of the strip. The campaign began with a small number of vaccinations on Saturday and aims to reach about 640,000 children.

Gaza's Health Ministry said more than 72,600 children received vaccines Sunday.

The World Health Organization has said Israel agreed to limited pauses in the fighting to facilitate the campaign. There were initial reports of Israeli strikes in central Gaza early Sunday, but it was not immediately known if anyone was killed or wounded. The pause ended Sunday afternoon, according to a schedule released by Israel.

Israel has said the vaccination program will continue through Sept. 9 and last eight hours a day.

Gaza recently reported its first polio case in 25 years — a 10-month-old boy, now paralyzed in a leg. The World Health Organization says the presence of a paralysis case indicates there could be hundreds more who have been infected but aren’t showing symptoms.

Most people who have polio do not experience symptoms, and those who do usually recover in a week or so. But there is no cure, and when polio causes paralysis, it is usually permanent. If the paralysis affects breathing muscles, the disease can be fatal.

The vaccination campaign faces challenges, from ongoing fighting to devastated roads and hospitals shut down by the war. Around 90% of Gaza's population of 2.3 million people have been displaced within the besieged territory, with hundreds of thousands crammed into squalid tent camps.

Health officials have expressed alarm about disease outbreaks as uncollected garbage has piled up and the bombing of critical infrastructure has sent putrid water flowing through the streets. Polio is spread through fecal matter. Widespread hunger has left people even more vulnerable to illness.

“We escaped death with our children, and fled from place to place for the sake of our children, and now we have these diseases," said Wafaa Obaid, who brought her three children to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah to get the vaccinations.

Ammar Ammar, a spokesperson for the U.N. children's agency, said it hopes both parties adhere to a temporary truce in designated areas to enable families to reach health facilities.

“This is a first step,” he told The Associated Press. “But there is no alternative to a cease-fire because it’s not only polio that threatens children in Gaza, but also other factors, including malnutrition and the inhuman conditions they are living in.”

The vaccinations will be administered at roughly 160 sites across the territory, including medical centers and schools. Children under 10 will receive two drops of oral polio vaccine in two rounds, the second to be administered four weeks after the first.

Israel allowed around 1.3 million doses to be brought into the territory last month, which are now being held in refrigerated storage in a warehouse in Deir al-Balah. Another shipment of 400,000 doses is set to be delivered to Gaza soon.

The polio virus that triggered this latest outbreak is a mutated virus from an oral polio vaccine. The oral polio vaccine contains weakened live virus and in very rare cases, that virus is shed by those who are vaccinated and can evolve into a new form capable of starting new epidemics.

The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250 hostages. Around 100 remain in captivity, about a third of whom are believed to be dead.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed over 40,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry, which does not say whether those killed were fighters or civilians. The war has caused vast destruction across the territory, with entire neighborhoods wiped out and critical infrastructure heavily damaged.

The United States, Egypt and Qatar have spent months trying to broker a cease-fire and the release of the remaining hostages, but the talks have repeatedly stalled and a number of sticking points remain.

Magdy reported from Cairo.

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a hospital in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A Palestinian child waits to receive a polio vaccination at a hospital in Khan Younis, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a hospital in Khan Younis, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Palestinian children wait to receive a polio vaccination at a hospital in Khan Younis, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a hospital in Khan Younis, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Derrick Davis scored on a 1-yard dive with 32 seconds remaining and Pittsburgh rallied past West Virginia 38-34 on Saturday in the 107th edition of the Backyard Brawl.

The Panthers (3-0) trailed by 10 with less than 5 minutes to go before Eli Holstein, a redshirt freshman transfer from Alabama, led a stirring comeback that added another memorable chapter in a rivalry that dates to 1895.

Holstein found Daejon Reynolds with a 40-yard heave to the end zone with 3:06 remaining to bring Pitt within a field goal. The Panthers got the ball back with 1:59 left and Holstein deftly guided Pitt 77 yards, though Davis' go-ahead score came with Holstein on the sideline after the quarterback's helmet came off trying to bull his way into the end zone on the previous play.

No matter, Nate Yarnell — who lost a training camp battle with Holstein to be the starter — came on and handed it to Davis, a Pittsburgh native trying to resurrect his career after a stint at LSU.

The victory was Pitt's second in three tries against the Mountaineers since the series was renewed in 2022. It also marked the Panthers' second impressive comeback in eight days.

Pitt trailed Cincinnati by 21 in the second half before roaring back last week. The stakes were even higher and things considerably bleaker against the Mountaineers after WVU's Garrett Greene hit Justin Robinson for a 28-yard touchdown with 4:55 to play to put the Mountaineers up 34-24.

Yet Holstein was just getting started on a day he passed for 301 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 59 more. He was near perfect down the stretch to give Pitt its first 3-0 start since 2020.

Greene finished with 210 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns but was also picked off twice, including a desperation toss with 4 seconds remaining.

The Mountaineers (1-2) committed a handful of self-inflicted wounds along the way. They had a long touchdown pass in the third quarter called back after being flagged for holding then subsequently gave up a blocked punt that Pitt's Brandon George returned for a score that put Pitt up 24-17.

WVU reeled off the next 17 points and appeared to be firmly in control after Robinson made a leaping one-handed grab at the goal line — with his other hand in the facemask of a Pitt player — only to see Pitt's offense come to life late behind Holstein.

WVU: Neal Brown may have trouble backing up last year's somewhat surprising 9-win campaign. The Mountaineers remain a work in progress on defense and the offense might not be potent enough to overcome it.

Pitt: Holstein has emphatically ended the Panthers' search for a quarterback and a team that was picked to finish 13th in the expanded ACC looks as if it could be dangerous once conference play begins in October.

WVU: begins Big 12 play next Saturday when Kansas visits Mountaineer Field.

Pitt: finishes up nonconference play next Saturday at home against Youngstown State.

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Pittsburgh running back Desmond Reid (0) pulls in a pass for a touchdown as he's defended by West Virginia linebacker Josiah Trotter, right, during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene, right, hands off to wide receiver Traylon Ray, left, during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene (6) looks to throw during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Pittsburgh Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

West Virginia running back Jahiem White (1) scores during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh running back Desmond Reid (0) celebrates with Raphael Williams Jr. (5) after scoring during the first half of an NCAA college football game against West Virginia Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein (10) looks to throw during the first half of an NCAA college football game against West Virginia, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)