At a clinic in Deir al-Balah, close to 2,000 children were vaccinated on Sunday. The queues are long, despite people fearing that it is not safe – either because they could be killed in Israeli attacks, or because of rumors that the vaccine is not effective.
Groups of health workers also go around refugee camps to distribute the vaccine. Children get their thumbs dipped in ink when they have had their dose, so that no child gets more doses.
Polio, which has been eradicated in the vast majority of countries in the world, has begun to make itself felt in Gaza again after more than 25 years without new cases of infection.
At least 1.26 million doses of the polio vaccine have already been delivered to Gaza by the World Health Organization (WHO), and Israel has agreed to a series of “humanitarian pauses” over three days to ensure children can safely receive the vaccine. The second dose of the vaccine must be given in four weeks.
The disease is highly contagious and is most often spread through sewage and infected drinking water. Gaza is in the middle of a massive humanitarian crisis, and much of the building stock has been left in ruins by Israeli forces in their war against Hamas.
Millions of Palestinians in Gaza live in refugee camps, which also contributes to the spread of the disease.
Polio primarily affects children under the age of five and can lead to deformities and paralysis. In the worst case, it can end in death.
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2024-09-02 00:25:15