2nd round of polio vaccinations in Gaza set to start on Oct. 14: UNICEF

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Thursday announced the date a second round of polio vaccination in the Gaza Strip will start, saying that around 590,000 children will begin to receive vaccinations on Oct. 14.

"The second round of polio vaccination in the Gaza Strip is confirmed. It will start on 14 October to vaccinate around 590K children under 10," UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said on X.

Saying that "area-specific humanitarian pauses have been agreed," Russell urged all parties to respect these pauses.

"Without them, it is impossible to vaccinate the children," she added.

She also announced that vitamin A supplements will be given to children in Gaza to strengthen their immune systems as "children in Gaza live in extremely dire hygiene and sanitation conditions" amid Israel's offensive on the strip, which has continued for over a year.

"With the additional vaccine equipment and cold boxes that arrived yesterday (Wednesday), UNICEF is ready to deliver and vaccinate children to stop the transmission of polio," she said, adding that successful first round of vaccination "shows that when agreements are respected, we can get the job done."

On Aug. 16, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported the first case of polio in the Gaza Strip.

In collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), Palestinian Health Ministry, UNICEF, and the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), a polio vaccination campaign targeting more than 600,000 children under age of 10 was launched in the Gaza Strip.

The first round was completed on Sept.16, with a reported vaccination coverage rate of 90%.