1.26 mln doses of polio vaccines arrive in Gaza: Health authorities

Gaza: Gaza-based health authorities announced on Sunday that 1.26 million doses of polio vaccines have arrived in the coastal enclave, home to over 2 million people.

The authorities said in a statement that reparations were underway to launch the vaccination campaign in coordination with partners.

The campaign targeted 640,000 children in Gaza, with each child from birth to 10 years old receiving two doses of the vaccine, according to a statement from Ramallah-based Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The ministry is working around the clock to coordinate with international health partners to launch the campaign in the coming days, while ensuring the safety of health workers amid ongoing “Israeli aggression” against the Strip, read the statement.

The statement called on the international community and organizations to increase pressure on Israel to halt the “aggression” and to facilitate the work of health personnel in Gaza.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced in mid-August that the UN plans to launch a two-phase vaccination campaign at the end of the month to immunize more than 640,000 children in Gaza.

Hamas has agreed to the UN’s call for a truce to enable the vaccination effort.

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that primarily affects children under five.

According to the World Health Organization, it spreads person-to-person, mainly through the fecal-oral route or, less commonly, through contaminated water or food.