Gaza Children Begin Polio Vaccinations Amid Escalating Conflict

Gaza Children Begin Polio Vaccinations Amid Escalating Conflict

The Gaza Strip has launched a campaign to vaccinate children against polio, ahead of a larger initiative planned for Sunday, Gaza’s Health Ministry announced on Saturday. This effort comes amid ongoing violence in both Gaza and the West Bank as Israel continues its military operations.

On Saturday, a few children in Gaza received their first polio vaccines, marking the start of a three-day campaign aimed at immunizing 640,000 Palestinian children. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that the broader campaign would commence on Sunday, during a temporary ceasefire coordinated with Israeli authorities to allow health workers access to vulnerable areas.

“We urgently need a halt in the fighting to ensure that all children can be reached,” stated Dr. Yousef Abu Al-Rish, Deputy Health Minister. Health workers in Gaza have long warned of a potential polio outbreak, exacerbated by the ongoing humanitarian crisis and deteriorating sanitation conditions.

The polio vaccination campaign follows the discovery of Gaza’s first polio case in 25 years earlier this month, when a 10-month-old child was paralyzed due to a mutated strain of the virus. The child had not been vaccinated, a consequence of the conflict that has made medical care difficult to access.

Journalists witnessed a small number of children receiving vaccinations at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. Amal Shaheen, whose daughter was among those vaccinated, expressed her relief: “I’ve been anxiously waiting for the vaccines to arrive. Now, I hope every child gets their dose.”

The vaccination drive takes place against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing military campaign, which has left more than 40,000 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The conflict, which escalated after the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel, has severely impacted Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure, deepening the crisis.

Despite the temporary ceasefire, tensions remain high as fighting continues in the West Bank, where Israeli forces are conducting a large-scale offensive, resulting in more casualties and destruction. The international community remains concerned about the possibility of the conflict expanding further, complicating efforts to provide humanitarian aid, including the critical polio vaccination drive.