The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today the dispatch of over one million doses of the polio vaccine to Gaza.
The vaccines will be distributed over the coming weeks to prevent children from contracting the virus, following its detection in wastewater samples in the region.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that children under the age of five are particularly at risk, especially infants under the age of two, due to the disruption of regular vaccination campaigns caused by the ongoing conflict, which has lasted for nine months. Ghebreyesus emphasized that although no polio cases have been reported so far, immediate action is crucial to prevent thousands of unprotected children from eventually contracting the virus.
Polio, primarily spread through fecal-oral transmission, is a highly contagious virus that affects the nervous system and can cause paralysis. Global polio cases have decreased by 99% since 1988 thanks to mass vaccination campaigns, and efforts continue to eradicate the virus completely.
In addition to polio, the United Nations reported last week a significant increase in cases of hepatitis A, dysentery, and gastroenteritis in Gaza, due to the deteriorating health conditions and the overflow of sewage into streets near some displaced persons' camps.
