Polio vaccination in the Gaza Strip halted due to bombing
Published: Wednesday, Oct 23rd 2024, 11:30
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The polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip cannot continue as planned due to heavy bombardments and the new displacement of residents.
The program in the northern part of the Gaza Strip could not begin as planned, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced in Geneva. Around 120,000 children under the age of ten were to be given the second dose of the vaccine there.
The first round in mid-September passed off without any major incidents. In the central and southern Gaza Strip, almost 443,000 children have already received their second dose of vaccine.
Israel has intensified its attacks on suspected hideouts of the terrorist organization Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip. Thousands of people have been called upon to leave their homes and apartments. This is intended to avoid civilian casualties. However, there are hardly any places of refuge for the people.
According to the WHO, the humanitarian pauses in fighting that had actually been promised were not adhered to. The zone for which humanitarian pauses had been agreed had been reduced in size. The pauses were intended to make it possible for families to go to the vaccination centers with their children or for mobile teams to reach families at home or in emergency reception camps.
The WHO warned of the consequences: "If a significant number of children do not receive their second dose of vaccine, this will seriously jeopardize efforts to stop poliovirus transmission in the Gaza Strip," it said.
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