WHO: 161,000 children receive polio jabs in Gaza
(VOVWORLD) -The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday said 161,000 children in Gaza received polio vaccinations over two days, surpassing the agency's target of 156,500 children.
 A child receives a polio vaccine at Al-Maghazi refugee camp, Gaza Strip, September 2, 2024. (Photo: VNA) |
WHO representative Rik Peeperkorn said at least 90% of Gazan children need to be vaccinated in order to prevent the spread of polio both within Gaza and across borders.
Medical teams will move on to southern Gaza later this week, where they are aiming to reach some 340,000 children, he said, followed by northern Gaza. Peeperkon said some children in southern Gaza were thought to be outside the agreed zone for the pauses and that negotiations continued in order to reach them.
WHO has at least 10 days left to complete the first phase of the campaign, and the rollout of the necessary second dose will begin in four weeks.
A shipment of 350,000 polio vaccine doses arrived in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, Palestinian Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan said. This is the second batch of vaccines, which are being stored in a dedicated warehouse for a coordinated vaccination campaign with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Approximately 1.6 million doses are expected to arrive, enough to vaccinate all children up to 10 years old with two doses each.