UNITED NATIONS, Sept 19 (Askume) – The second phase of a vaccination drive aimed at protecting Gaza’s 640,000 children against polio will also provide micronutrients – essential vitamins and minerals.
Discussions are also underway about the feasibility of including other vaccinations, including measles vaccination, in the campaign, said Ted Chabon, UNICEF’s deputy executive director for humanitarian operations and supply operations.
“More than 44,000 children were born last year who did not receive basic vaccinations,” he said on Thursday.
The head of the United Nations agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) said on Monday that the first phase of the polio vaccination campaign that began on September 1 has achieved the target of inoculating 90% of children under the age of 10.
The operation was carried out in multiple phases over two weeks amid humanitarian disruption caused by fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas . The second round of polio vaccination will be completed in four weeks.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed last month that a child had been partially paralysed by type 2 poliovirus, the first such case in the region in 25 years.
According to an assessment released by the Global Hunger Monitor in June, as long as the war continues and humanitarian access remains restricted, Gaza will face a severe hunger crisis.The threat of famine will remain.
“Just as we have successfully provided polio vaccine to all children, we need to use the same approach to provide all children with basic immunisation as well as some nutritional measures.
“These are life-saving interventions and all parties have shown they can come together when needed. This needs to happen again,” he said.
