Polio Vaccination Campaign in Gaza Postponed Amid Ongoing Zionist Aggression
A polio vaccination campaign in north Gaza has been postponed due to zionist bombardments, mass displacement, and lack of access, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday. This final phase, which was set to begin on Wednesday, aimed to vaccinate more than 119,000 children in the Palestinian enclave, which has been under siege for over a year in response to militant group Hamas’ attacks on zionist targets.
“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 for health workers to operate,” the UN agency stated, reiterating its call for a ceasefire.
The polio campaign initially commenced on September 1, following the WHO’s confirmation in August that a baby was partially paralyzed by the type 2 polio virus, marking the first such case in the territory in 25 years. Delays in administering a second dose for children could jeopardize efforts to halt transmission. “This could also lead to further spread of the poliovirus in the Gaza Strip and neighboring countries, with the risk of more children being paralyzed,” the agency warned.
On Tuesday, the UN Palestinian refugee agency called for a temporary truce to allow safe departures from areas in north Gaza, where it reported that “people are just waiting to die” after three weeks of zionist attacks.
