Second round of polio vaccination begins in Gaza

A second round of a campaign to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza against polio began on Monday as Israeli forces continued deadly operations in parts of the Palestinian territory.

The campaign will continue for three days in central Gaza, followed by three days each in Khan Younis and the northern regions. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged for a halt in airstrikes to ensure a safe environment for this health initiative.

The campaign began last month after the territory registered its first polio case in Gaza in 25 years — a 10-month-old boy, now paralysed in one leg.

Health workers succeeded in administering the first dose of the vaccine to around 560,000 children despite myriad challenges, including ongoing fighting, the breakdown of law and order and widespread damage to roads and infrastructure.

"Today is the first day of the (second round of the polio) campaign and there is a good turnout because people are convinced by the vaccination," Abu Saleel, an employee of the Gaza health ministry, told AFP at a medical centre in the central city of Deir Al Balah. Behind him health workers administered the vaccine to dozens of children who had come with their families, an AFP correspondent reported.

The United Nations agencies for health and for children said they were aiming to provide follow-up doses to some 591,700 children under the age of 10 across Gaza in this round of vaccination.

The latest drive comes amid an escalation of Israeli military operations in central and northern areas of Gaza in recent days, which have already killed and wounded hundreds, according to the Gaza civil defence agency.

More than 1,000 health workers were mobilised for the new vaccination campaign on Monday, according to the United Nations agency for supporting Palestinian refugees, also known as UNRWA.

Agencies