WHO says 'intense bombardment' halts Gaza polio vaccinations

GENEVA

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced it was forced to postpone the final phase of the polio vaccination drive in Gaza on Wednesday due to "intense bombardment" and "escalating violence" in the northern region.

The second round of vaccinations was scheduled to commence in northern Gaza, following successful completion in the central and southern areas of the besieged Palestinian territory. However, the WHO stated it had been "compelled to postpone" the campaign to vaccinate 119,279 children in Northern Gaza.

Israel launched a significant air and ground offensive in northern Gaza this month, aiming to prevent Hamas militants from regrouping in the area.

The vaccination campaign was halted "due to the escalating violence, intense bombardment, mass displacement orders, and lack of assured humanitarian pauses across most of northern Gaza," according to the WHO.

"The current conditions, including ongoing attacks on civilian infrastructure, continue to jeopardize people's safety and movement in northern Gaza, making it impossible for families to safely bring their children for vaccination," and making it difficult for health workers to operate, the organization added.

 Second dose needed 

The vaccination drive began after the Gaza Strip confirmed its first case of polio in 25 years.

The conflict has left most medical facilities and Gaza's sewage system in ruins. Poliovirus, which is most often spread through sewage and contaminated water, is highly infectious and can cause deformities and paralysis. It is potentially fatal, mainly affecting children under the age of five.

As with the initial round of vaccination last month, the second round was divided into three phases, with localised "humanitarian pauses" aiding the effort: first in central Gaza, then in the south, and finally in the hard-to-reach north.

Each phase was planned to span three campaign days, with an additional catch-up day for monitoring and vaccinating any children who were missed.

The WHO states that a minimum of two doses of oral vaccine are necessary to interrupt poliovirus transmission, requiring vaccination of 90 percent of all children under 10 in a community.

"It is imperative to stop the polio outbreak as soon as possible, before more children are paralyzed and poliovirus spreads further," the U.N. health agency stressed.

"It is crucial therefore that the vaccination campaign in northern Gaza is facilitated through the implementation of the humanitarian pauses, ensuring access wherever eligible children are located."