93 Thousand Gaza Children Participate In Polio Vaccination, UNRWA: The Best Vaccine Is A Ceasefire

Vaccination for polio in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. (Source: Twitter/@DrTedros)

JAKARTA - The UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) said it managed to vaccinate about 93,000 children under the age of ten in the central region of the Gaza Strip, as part of the second round of the polio immunization campaign.

"Although the war is rising and challenges continue, the second round of the polio immunization campaign was launched yesterday in the central region of Gaza," the agency said in an X post.

"The best vaccines for children are ceasefire and peace," the agency continued.

Separately, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday it had been able to start a polio campaign in central Gaza and vaccinate tens of thousands of children, although Israel carried out attacks on designated protection zones hours earlier.

As part of a deal between the Israeli military and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the humanitarian break in the Gaza war should have started Monday morning to reach hundreds of thousands of children.

However, hours earlier, the UN humanitarian office said Israeli forces attacked tents near al Aqsa hospital, within the zone.

WHO Spokesman Pull Jabyarevi Badminton said at a press conference in Geneva, more than 92,000 children, or about half of the children targeted for the polio vaccine in the central area, had been immunized on Monday.

"What we received from our colleagues was that vaccination was running without a big problem yesterday, and we hope it will continue in the same way," he said.

Earlier, Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan on Monday announced the launch of a second round of the polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip for children under the age of ten.

It said the vaccination would consist of three stages. The first stage in the central region of Deir al-Balah will last for three days, and will last from October 14 to 17, and can be extended one more day.

The second dose of oral polio and OPV vaccines will be given, in addition to vitamin A, which increases children's immunity, helps them fight infections and contributes to improving healthy vision and growth.

The campaign aims to vaccinate 591,700 children under the age of ten, and a fixed and mobile team will be deployed to complete the campaign.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health stressed that the success of this campaign relies on a humanitarian ceasefire to ensure the ability of all workers in the polio control sector to work in a safe environment, and allow families to get vaccinated for children.