Large-Scale Polio Vaccinations Begin In War-Ravaged Gaza After First Case In 25 Years

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian wellness authorities and United Nations agencies connected Sunday began a large-scale run of vaccinations against polio successful nan Gaza Strip, hoping to forestall an outbreak successful nan territory that has been ravaged by nan Israel-Hamas war.

Authorities scheme to vaccinate children successful cardinal Gaza until Wednesday earlier moving connected to nan much devastated bluish and confederate parts of nan strip. The run began pinch a small number of vaccinations connected Saturday and intends to scope astir 640,000 children.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said much than 72,600 children received vaccines Sunday.

The World Health Organization has said Israel agreed to constricted pauses successful nan fighting to facilitate nan campaign. There were first reports of Israeli strikes successful cardinal Gaza early Sunday, but it was not instantly known if anyone was killed aliases wounded. The region ended Sunday afternoon, according to a schedule released by Israel.

Israel has said nan vaccination programme will proceed done Sept. 9 and past 8 hours a day.

Gaza precocious reported its first polio case successful 25 years — a 10-month-old boy, now paralyzed successful a leg. The World Health Organization says nan beingness of a paralysis lawsuit indicates location could beryllium hundreds much who person been infected but aren’t showing symptoms.

Most group who person polio do not acquisition symptoms, and those who do usually retrieve successful a week aliases so. But location is nary cure, and erstwhile polio causes paralysis, it is usually permanent. If nan paralysis affects breathing muscles, nan illness tin beryllium fatal.

The vaccination run faces challenges, from ongoing fighting to devastated roads and hospitals unopen down by nan war. Around 90% of Gaza’s organization of 2.3 cardinal group person been displaced wrong nan besieged territory, pinch hundreds of thousands crammed into squalid shelter camps.

Health officials person expressed siren astir illness outbreaks arsenic uncollected garbage has piled up and nan bombing of captious infrastructure has sent putrid h2o flowing done nan streets. Polio is dispersed done fecal matter. Widespread hunger has near group moreover much susceptible to illness.

“We escaped decease pinch our children, and fled from spot to spot for nan liking of our children, and now we person these diseases,” said Wafaa Obaid, who brought her 3 children to nan Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital successful Deir al-Balah to get nan vaccinations.

Ammar Ammar, a spokesperson for nan U.N. children’s agency, said it hopes some parties adhere to a impermanent truce successful designated areas to alteration families to scope wellness facilities.

“This is simply a first step,” he told The Associated Press. “But location is nary replacement to a cease-fire because it’s not only polio that threatens children successful Gaza, but besides different factors, including malnutrition and nan inhuman conditions they are surviving in.”

The vaccinations will beryllium administered astatine astir 160 sites crossed nan territory, including aesculapian centers and schools. Children nether 10 will person 2 drops of oral polio vaccine successful 2 rounds, nan 2nd to beryllium administered 4 weeks aft nan first.

Israel allowed astir 1.3 cardinal doses to beryllium brought into nan territory past month, which are now being held successful refrigerated retention successful a storage successful Deir al-Balah. Another shipment of 400,000 doses is group to beryllium delivered to Gaza soon.

The polio microorganism that triggered this latest outbreak is simply a mutated virus from an oral polio vaccine. The oral polio vaccine contains weakened unrecorded microorganism and successful very uncommon cases, that microorganism is shed by those who are vaccinated and tin germinate into a caller shape tin of starting caller epidemics.

The warfare successful Gaza began erstwhile Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel connected Oct. 7, sidesplitting immoderate 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting astir 250 hostages. Around 100 stay successful captivity, astir a 3rd of whom are believed to beryllium dead.

Israel’s retaliatory violative has killed complete 40,000 Palestinians, according to nan Health Ministry, which does not opportunity whether those killed were fighters aliases civilians. The warfare has caused vast demolition crossed nan territory, pinch full neighborhoods wiped retired and captious infrastructure heavy damaged.

The United States, Egypt and Qatar person spent months trying to agent a cease-fire and nan merchandise of nan remaining hostages, but nan talks person many times stalled and a number of sticking points remain.

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Magdy reported from Cairo.

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