Delayed Gaza polio vaccines to resume

The third phase of a delayed polio vaccination campaign in Gaza will begin on November 2nd, aid 0rganisations said on November 1st according to the Arab News via Reuters. The rollout had been delated by Israeli bombardment, mass displacement and a lack of access.

The campaign began on September 1st after the WHO confirmed in August that a baby was partially paralysed by the type 2 polio virus, the first such case in Gaza in a quarter of a century.

There was an agreement for a humanitarian pause to conduct the campaign but WHO and UNICEF said the area covered by the agreement would only cover Gaza city, representing a significant reduction from the previous pause in September.

The final phase had aimed to reached around 119,000 children under 10 in northern Gaza with a second dose of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2). This now appears unlikely, however, due to constraints, a statement said.

Reuters