WHO says 161,000 children received polio jabs in Gaza over 2 days, surpassing estimates

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday said 161,000 children in Gaza received polio vaccination over two days, surpassing the agency's target of 156,500 children.

Citing preliminary data, spokesperson Richard Peeperkorn told a UN press briefing in Geneva that about 74,340 children were vaccinated on day two of the vaccination campaign, in addition to day one's over 86,600.

Peeperkorn said that day three of the campaign is ongoing and the majority of remaining children in central Gaza should be vaccinated by the end of round one.

He said coordinated missions are ongoing in areas in central Gaza that are outside the agreed pauses to ensure no child is missed, as the zones designated for the campaign do not include the entire enclave.

"Special teams are ensuring no child is missed. At Al Maghazi, Al Bureij, Al Mussader, the vaccination teams encountered larger-than-expected populations," he said, adding: "Yesterday, two additional vaccine dispatches were made to Al Maghazi and Al Bureij primary health centers due to higher demand."

He said Gaza had a high level of vaccination coverage across the population before Oct. 7; however, due to the impact of the conflict, routine immunization coverage for the second dose of inactivated polio vaccine dropped from 99% in 2022 to less than 90% in the first quarter of 2024, "increasing the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases to children, including polio."  

"WHO considers there to be a high risk of variant poliovirus type 2 within Gaza, and internationally, given gaps in children's immunity due to disruptions in routine vaccination, a new birth cohort, decimation of the health system, constant population displacement, malnutrition and severely damaged water and sanitation systems," he said.

The spokesperson also confirmed that the campaign is progressing well, with no significant security issues reported so far.

"Until now, things are going well. Again, this is only the third day. So, these area-specific humanitarian policies, until now, work. We, of course, expect that this will continue and that all parties will contribute to this and to make sure that we can continue," Peeperkorn said, reminding that the campaign still has 10 days to go at least.

Following the completion of the first doses, the second doses will be administered after four weeks.

He voiced hope that the vaccination campaign's success could potentially lead to improved humanitarian cooperation on other issues.

The urgency of the campaign was underscored by the confirmation of Gaza’s first polio case in 25 years in a 10-month-old child last month.

The polio vaccination campaign is taking place against the backdrop of Israel's continued military attacks in Gaza, which have resulted in over 40,700 Palestinian deaths since the Hamas incursion last October.