In a move to address the recent polio outbreak in Gaza, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced a three-day vaccination campaign aimed at reaching hundreds of thousands of children. This campaign comes after a baby in the Palestinian territory tested positive for the virus, marking the first confirmed case in 25 years.
The vaccination campaign, dubbed “humanitarian pauses,” will be implemented in different areas of Gaza over a span of three days, starting on Sunday in central Gaza. The campaign will then move to southern Gaza and finally to northern Gaza, with each phase lasting for three days. These pauses, lasting eight to nine hours each day, are meant to provide a window for health workers to administer the polio vaccine to children under the age of 10.
According to Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO representative in the Palestinian territories, the organization aims to vaccinate 640,000 children during this campaign. The campaign has been coordinated with Israeli authorities, who have agreed to these “humanitarian pauses” despite the ongoing conflict.
“I’m not going to say this is the ideal way forward. But this is a workable way forward,” Peeperkorn said of the vaccination campaign. He added, “It will happen and should happen because we have an agreement.”
While these pauses are designed to facilitate the vaccination effort, they are not a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, which has been a primary objective of mediators such as the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar. Despite ongoing talks, a ceasefire has yet to materialize.
An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the plan not being finalized, confirmed that there will be a tactical pause to allow for the vaccination campaign. The Israeli army has previously announced limited pauses in specific areas to permit international humanitarian operations.
The WHO emphasizes that at least 90% of children in Gaza need to be vaccinated to prevent the spread of polio. This underscores the urgency of the campaign and the importance of cooperation between all parties to ensure its success in safeguarding the health of children in the region.
