More than 159,000 have received polio vaccination in the central area of the Gaza Strip within two days of the start of the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, the local health ministry announced on Monday.
Aiming to vaccinate the 640,000 children in Gaza under ten years old, the polio vaccination campaign started on Sunday.
The campaign began in central Gaza, including the city of Deir al-Balah and the refugee camps of al-Nuseirat, al-Maghazi, and al-Bureij. The second phase is scheduled for Sept 5 in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, with northern Gaza set to be covered on Sept 9.
The Palestinian Health Ministry, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), has established vaccination centers in hospitals, clinics, schools, and shelters.
The United Nations has delivered 1.2 million doses of the oral polio vaccine, targeting approximately 640,000 children.
Louise Wateridge, a spokesperson for the UNRWA, said on Monday that the first day of the campaign saw 87,000 children receiving their vaccinations. However, the primary challenge facing Gaza residents and humanitarian workers in this vaccination effort continues to be safety concerns.
"One of the biggest problems we're having and one of the biggest challenges is actually safely distributing the vaccination. It's far too dangerous for them to travel, to move; there is ongoing fighting. There were a lot of strikes this morning and through the night. So, the fighting has not stopped by any means. There are some pauses throughout the day, but it's not guaranteed. We don't have guaranteed safety to people, and we really need that to reach all the children to get that 90 percent success rate," said Wateridge.
The UNRWA said on social media that while vaccination efforts are progressing vigorously, "What these children need most is a ceasefire now."
WHO said that at least 90 percent of children in Gaza require a second vaccination, with a four-week interval between doses. However, the vaccination efforts face significant challenges in the heavily damaged Gaza Strip.
UN official calls for "guaranteed safety" to facilitate vaccination process
