Obstacles to polio vaccination in Gaza

The ongoing Israeli aggression and high temperatures are complicating polio vaccination plans in Gaza, where the first case of polio in 25 years was announced last week amid a significant deterioration in health conditions. The World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) say they have detailed plans to vaccinate 640,000 children across Gaza starting at the end of this month. 'It is very difficult to carry out a vaccination campaign of this magnitude under a sky full of airstrikes,' said Juliette Touma, UNRWA's communications director. There are also restrictions on the entry of aid, including medicines, into the blockaded territory. The high temperatures of the summer make it even more difficult to carry out the vaccination campaign. Polio is most often spread through sewage and contaminated water and is highly contagious. The WHO representative in Gaza, Richard Peeperkorn, says the organization will oversee the master plan for the vaccination campaign, with 2,700 health wor kers in 708 teams working in every municipality in Gaza. UNICEF says it is responsible for ensuring a supply chain that requires refrigeration to bring in vaccines and distribute them across Gaza. Some 1.6 million doses have been prepared, providing two doses for each of Gaza's 640,000 children, with surplus doses to cover what might be lost to the heat. Source: Maan News Agency