Mass polio vaccine campaign begins in Gaza

A polio vaccination campaign began Sunday in central Gaza Strip, in several health centers under the supervision of local and international authorities. The vaccination unit official at Al-Nuseirat Health Center Mahmoud Hamida said in a statement to KUNA that the center launched the campaign to protect the children from polio, given the catastrophic situation and the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. This campaign was launched through the Palestinian Health Ministry, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) which include children from the age one to ten years, Hamida added. He also affirmed that the vaccination is harmless as it merely to protect the children of Gaza from the recently spread type two polio virus especially in Deir Al-Balah. On his part, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini assured that the first stage of polio vaccination began in central Gaza Strip reaching more than 600,000 children in these coming days. L azzarini reaffirmed that both parties must respect the temporary truce in the region for the success of this campaign, and he called for a permanent ceasefire for the children. Health Authorities in the Gaza Strip announced on Saturday the start of the polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip, two days after Hamas and Israeli aggression agreed to a "humanitarian truce" to allow the necessary vaccinations. Health Authorities said that this campaign was in cooperation with non-governmental organizations and the United Nations, which sent one million and 200,000 doses of oral drops. It was mentioned that the Health Authorities recorded first polio case in a 25 years in Deir Al-Balah, which highlights the total collapse of health infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. Source: Kuwait News Agency