Polio vaccination campaign for children to begin in Gaza

RAMALLAH, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) — A polio vaccination campaign for children under 10 years old in the Gaza Strip will begin on Sunday, Palestine’s Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan said on Friday.
The vaccination program will be carried out from Sunday to Sept. 12 in Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, Gaza City, and the northern regions, Abu Ramadan said in a press statement.
According to the minister, cold chain equipment will be transferred between areas in accordance with the vaccination schedule for each city.
The ministry has published field maps showing vaccination locations and centers and sent text messages to residents in Gaza to inform them of vaccination schedules.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported that its health program staff in Gaza are continuing their preparations and rigorous training to carry out registration and vaccination operations.
Over 1,000 UNRWA employees will participate in the campaign, providing vaccines directly to children in Gaza through the agency’s health centers, mobile clinics, and shelters, moving from tent to tent as needed, according to the UN agency.
Israel and Hamas have agreed to three separate, zoned three-day pauses in fighting in the Gaza Strip for the polio vaccination campaign, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Thursday.
The campaign targets some 640,000 children, with each child from birth to 10 years old receiving two doses of the vaccine. ■