19 February 2025 – The emergency polio outbreak response within the Gaza Strip is continuous, with a mass vaccination marketing campaign scheduled from 22 to 26 February 2025. The novel oral polio vaccine sort 2 (nOPV2) will likely be administered to over 591 000 kids beneath 10 years of age to guard them from polio. This marketing campaign follows the current detection of poliovirus in wastewater samples in Gaza, signaling ongoing circulation within the atmosphere, placing kids in danger.
Pockets of people with low or no immunity present the virus a possibility to proceed spreading and doubtlessly trigger illness. The present atmosphere in Gaza, together with overcrowding in shelters and severely broken water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure, which facilitates fecal-oral transmission, create splendid situations for additional unfold of poliovirus. Intensive inhabitants motion consequent to the present ceasefire is prone to exacerbate the unfold of poliovirus an infection.
Two earlier vaccination rounds within the Gaza Strip have been efficiently performed in September and October 2024, reaching over 95% of the goal. As poliovirus is discovered to stay within the atmosphere, extra vaccination efforts are wanted to succeed in each baby and strengthen inhabitants immunity. The presence of the virus nonetheless poses a danger to kids with low or no immunity, in Gaza and all through the area.
In 2024, well being staff confronted vital challenges accessing sure areas of central, north and south Gaza, which required particular coordination to enter in the course of the battle. In inaccessible areas corresponding to Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun the place humanitarian pauses for the vaccination marketing campaign weren’t assured, roughly 7 000 kids missed vaccination in the course of the second spherical. The current ceasefire means well being staff have significantly higher entry now.
No extra polio instances have been reported since a ten-month-old baby was paralyzed in August 2024, however the brand new environmental samples from Deir al Balah and Khan Younis, collected in December 2024 and January 2025, affirm poliovirus transmission. The pressure detected is genetically linked to the poliovirus detected within the Gaza Strip in July 2024.
The upcoming vaccination marketing campaign goals to succeed in all kids beneath 10 years of age, together with these beforehand missed, to shut immunity gaps and finish the outbreak. Using the oral polio vaccine will assist finish this outbreak by stopping the unfold of the virus. A further polio vaccination spherical is deliberate to be applied in April.
The marketing campaign will likely be led by the Palestinian Ministry of Well being and applied with assist from the World Well being Group (WHO), United Nations Kids’s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Aid and Works Company for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and different companions.
Polio vaccines are protected and there’s no most variety of instances a baby needs to be vaccinated. Every dose provides extra safety which is required throughout an lively polio outbreak.
WHO, UNICEF, and companions welcome the current ceasefire and urge for a long-lasting ceasefire that results in long-term peace.
