Polio still circulating in Gaza, mass vaccination to resume: WHO

The World Health Organization said Wednesday that mass polio vaccination would resume in Gaza on Saturday, targeting
nearly 600,000 children, after the virus was again detected in the war-
ravaged Palestinian territory.

The United Nations health agency said no more polio cases had been reported
since a 10-month-old child was paralysed in Gaza last August.

But it said that poliovirus had been found again in wastewater samples taken
in the Gaza Strip in December and January, “signalling ongoing circulation in
the environment, putting children at risk”.

“The presence of the virus still poses a risk to children with low or no
immunity, in Gaza and throughout the region.”

A new campaign would therefore take place from February 22 to 26, with the
aim of reaching more than 591,000 children with oral polio vaccines, it said.

The aim was to reach all children under 10, including those previously
missed, “to close immunity gaps and end the outbreak”, it said, adding that
another vaccination round was planned for April.

Poliovirus, most often spread through sewage and contaminated water, is
highly infectious and potentially fatal.

It can cause deformities and paralysis and mainly affects children under the
age of five.

After the August case was reported, brief localised pauses in Israel’s war
against Hamas in Gaza were agreed to allow for two vaccination rounds in the
territory in September and October.

Those rounds reached more than 95 percent of the children targeted, WHO said.

But it warned that some areas in the north, including Jabalia, Beit Lahiya
and Beit Hanoun, were inaccessible for the second vaccination round.

As a result around 7,000 children had not received their necessary second
dose.

The ceasefire in effect since January 19 “means health workers have
considerably better access now”, WHO said.

The agency stressed that “pockets of individuals with low or no immunity
provide the virus an opportunity to continue spreading and potentially cause
disease”.

“The current environment in Gaza, including overcrowding in shelters and
severely damaged water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure, which
facilitates fecal-oral transmission, create ideal conditions for further
spread of poliovirus,” it warned.

It warned that the movement of people after the current ceasefire could help
spread the virus.

WHO stressed that there are no risks to vaccinating a child more than once.

“Each dose gives additional protection which is needed during an active polio
outbreak.” (BSS/AFP)