Gaza’s Health Ministry has announced that nearly 443,000 children have received their first dose of the polio vaccine as part of a vital immunization campaign. This accounts for around 69% of children under 10 in the region. Mousa Abed, general director of primary health care at the Palestinian Ministry of Health, highlighted the campaign’s success in central Gaza, where 195,000 children were vaccinated, exceeding the original target of 160,000.
This rise is partly due to an influx of displaced families amid ongoing military operations and evacuation orders.
However, despite this progress, the Health Ministry has been awaiting Israeli approval for four days to access seven more areas in Khan Younis and Rafah, which are key to continuing the vaccination effort. While some access approvals have been granted, the limited time frame has hindered efforts to vaccinate all children in those regions.
To date, 248,000 children have been vaccinated in Rafah and Khan Younis, but the campaign aims to reach 300,000 across southern Gaza. Access remains particularly challenging in certain “red zones” designated by the Israeli military.
This vaccination drive comes in the midst of a severe humanitarian crisis, with nearly 41,100 Palestinians killed, many of them women and children, as a result of ongoing conflict. The region is also facing critical shortages of food, clean water, and medical supplies.
The urgency of the campaign has been compounded by the detection of the poliovirus in Gaza, the first case of paralytic polio in 25 years. Supported by international agencies like UNICEF and the World Health Organization, the campaign aims to reach at least 90% of the child population to prevent further outbreaks.
Amid worsening security conditions and widespread displacement, ensuring vaccinations for all eligible children remains a daunting challenge. Health officials are calling for coordinated efforts to overcome the barriers posed by the conflict and protect Gaza’s vulnerable population.