A mass vaccination campaign aimed at vaccinating over 591,000 children under 10 years old in the Gaza Strip is set to continue after poliovirus was detected in wastewater samples. The World Health Organization (WHO) has coordinated the efforts with the Palestinian Ministry of Health and other partners.
The vaccine, which provides immunity against a specific type of polio virus, has been used since March 2021 for outbreak response. Children will receive two drops of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), followed by a second dose four weeks later.
The current campaign aims to reach all children under 10 years old in Gaza, including those previously missed due to hostilities and humanitarian pauses during the Israel-Hamas war. At least 7,000 children were missed during the previous vaccination round, and the WHO plans to carry out another mass polio vaccination in April.
Poliovirus detection was confirmed after symptoms in a 10-month-old child resembled the virus, and tests conducted in Jordan confirmed the diagnosis. Wastewater samples collected in December and January confirm polio transmission in Gaza.
The campaign aims to close immunity gaps and strengthen population immunity, particularly among children under 5 who are most vulnerable to polio. With about 341,000 children under five in Gaza, the vaccination efforts will help protect against paralysis or death from this preventable disease.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/International/mass-polio-vaccination-campaign-continues-gaza-who/story?id=118960293