Thu Sep 12 13:07:00 UTC 2024: ## Polio Vaccination Drive in Gaza Reaches 90% Target Amidst Conflict
**GENEVA** – The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed confidence that a massive polio vaccination drive in Gaza has successfully reached its target of over 90% of children under 10, despite the ongoing conflict.
The campaign, which began last week after the first confirmed polio case in 25 years, was aided by localized humanitarian pauses in fighting. By September 11, over 552,000 children had received the first dose of the vaccine. The WHO is still awaiting final figures for the campaign’s conclusion on September 12, but is “satisfied” with the high turnout of parents seeking to protect their children.
“We are confident that we probably reached the target,” said Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO’s representative for the Palestinian territories.
The WHO stressed the importance of achieving at least 90% coverage to prevent the spread of polio both within Gaza’s borders and beyond. A second dose campaign is scheduled to begin in approximately four weeks.
Mr. Peeperkorn expressed gratitude for the respect shown towards “humanitarian pauses” during the first phase of the campaign, allowing it to operate within a “polio bubble.” He called for the extension of these pauses to a wider area, facilitating the establishment of humanitarian corridors to deliver essential aid to those in need.
The polio outbreak in Gaza highlights the vulnerability of the besieged territory, which has been under an Israeli blockade for over 11 months. The current conflict, triggered by Hamas’ attack on southern Israel on October 7, has resulted in a devastating loss of life. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, at least 41,118 people have been killed, with the UN rights office stating that the majority of the deceased are women and children.
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