GAZA: Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative for the occupied Palestinian territories, has announced that a two-phase polio vaccination campaign will commence in Gaza on September 1.

Speaking to reporters in New York today, Peeperkorn detailed that the Palestinian Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the WHO, UNICEF, and the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), will administer two doses of a new oral polio vaccine (type 2) to over 640,000 children under the age of ten during each phase of the campaign.

From his location in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, Peeperkorn confirmed that 1.26 million doses of the vaccine and 500 vaccine carriers have already been delivered to Gaza. He said an additional 400,000 doses are expected to arrive soon, while over 2,180 healthcare workers and community outreach personnel have been trained to facilitate the vaccination effort.

Peeperkorn emphasized the necessity of achieving a 90% coverage rate in each phase of the camp
aign to effectively halt the disease’s spread within Gaza and prevent international transmission. He stressed the critical need for a ceasefire to ensure safe access for children and families to health facilities, and for community outreach workers to bring children in for vaccination.

Without a humanitarian ceasefire, Peeperkorn warned that executing the vaccination campaign would be extremely challenging in Gaza’s complex and restricted environment. The campaign will span three days, beginning in central Gaza, followed by the southern and northern regions.

Peeperkorn also called for protection measures for vaccination workers, families, and children accessing health facilities. He reiterated his profound concern about the overall health situation in Gaza, noting that 17 out of 36 hospitals and 58 out of 132 primary healthcare centers are only partially operational.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA