UN agencies complete second round of polio vaccinations in Gaza amid ongoing conflict

UNICEF and the World Health Organization said on Wednesday that the second round of polio vaccination in the Gaza Strip was completed on November 5. More than 550,000 children under the age of 10 received the second dose of polio vaccine, and more than 440,000 children aged two to ten also received vitamin A supplements.

Remarkable achievements

The data confirms that approximately 94% of the target population of more than 590,000 children under the age of 10 in the Gaza Strip have received their second dose of the new type 2 oral polio vaccine, an achievement that is particularly significant given that the vaccination campaign was carried out in extremely difficult circumstances.

The campaign achieved 103% coverage in central and 91% in southern Gaza. However, in northern Gaza, where lack of access has hampered vaccination activities, preliminary data show that coverage in the area is around 88%.

The end of the second round of vaccinations marks the successful completion of the polio vaccination campaign launched in September 2024. This round of vaccinations was carried out in three phases in central, southern and northern Gaza and was carried out during a temporary humanitarian ceasefire in specific areas.

Phase 3 resumes after suspension due to conflict

While the first two phases proceeded as planned, the third phase of vaccination activities in northern Gaza had to be temporarily postponed on October 23 due to intense bombardment, large-scale displacement of people, unsecured humanitarian suspensions and access issues.

Vaccination activities resumed on 2 November after a careful assessment of the situation by a technical committee composed of the PalestTerms and Conditionsinian Ministry of Health, WHO, UNICEF and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East .

However, compared to the first round, the areas covered by the second round of vaccination campaign were significantly reduced during the humanitarian ceasefire ensured, as access was only guaranteed to Gaza City.

Vaccination agencies say that to curb the spread of the polio virus that is affecting Gaza, every community needs to receive at least two doses of vaccine and achieve more than 90% vaccination coverage.