2nd polio vax program in Gaza to begin Oct. 14

A Somali child receives a polio vaccination at the Tunisian hospital in Mogadishu. The hospital treat local Somalis’ diseases, malnutrition, and other injuries. (Photo By PV2 Andrew W. McGalliard/Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)

By Anadolu, Philippine News Agency

GAZA CITY – The Gaza Health Ministry announced on Saturday that it will launch the second phase of its polio vaccination campaign on Monday.

“In cooperation with the World Health Organization, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, and the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, we announce the start of the second phase of the polio vaccination campaign for children under 10 years old in the central governorate,” the Health Ministry said in a statement.

The campaign will last for three days, with a possibility of extending it for one additional day.

On Thursday, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell announced that the second round of the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza would commence on Oct. 14.

UNICEF would also provide vitamin A supplements to children to strengthen their immune systems, highlighting that “children in Gaza live in extremely dire hygiene and sanitation conditions.”

The first phase of the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza concluded on Sept. 12, with over 560,000 Palestinian children vaccinated.

According to the UN, children in Gaza require two doses of the vaccine, each consisting of two drops administered orally.