Polio Returns To Gaza After 25 Years: Urgent Vaccination Push Amid War

Gaza Strip has confirmed its first polio case in 25 years, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. This follows a recent call from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for humanitarian pauses in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict to facilitate vaccination efforts. The case was identified in a 10-month-old child from central Gaza who was unvaccinated. Testing in Jordan confirmed the presence of the disease.

UN Appeals for Vaccination Pauses

Guterres has urged for two seven-day breaks in the fighting to enable vaccination of over 640,000 children in Gaza. The UN reports that, although polio has not been detected in Gaza for a quarter-century, type 2 poliovirus was found in wastewater samples collected in June. Polio, a highly infectious disease often spread through contaminated water, can cause severe complications including paralysis and death, primarily affecting young children.

Vaccination Campaign Plans

The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have outlined plans for two vaccination drives targeting type 2 poliovirus (cVDPV2) in late August. To execute these plans, they stress the need for temporary cessation of hostilities to ensure safe access for health workers and families. “A ceasefire is essential to guarantee public health security in Gaza and neighboring regions,” the agencies stated. More than 1.6 million doses of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) are expected to be delivered by the end of August, with distribution facilitated through Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport.

Context of the Conflict

The outbreak coincides with the intensification of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began after a significant Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The ongoing war has resulted in extensive casualties, with over 40,000 reported dead in Gaza according to the health ministry there. The re-emergence of polio amidst this crisis highlights the urgent need for a coordinated international response to prevent further spread of the disease.