‘Intense Bombardments, Mass Displacements and Lack of Access in Northern Gaza Force the Postponement of Polio Vaccination Campaign’

The current conditions, including ongoing attacks on civilian infrastructure, continue to jeopardize people’s safety and movement in northern Gaza, making it impossible for families to safely bring their children for vaccination, and for health workers to operate.

All logistics, supplies and trained human resources were prepared to vaccinate children across northern Gaza with a second dose of novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), following a first-round conducted across the Gaza Strip from 1-12 September 2024.

However, given that the area currently approved for temporary humanitarian pauses was substantially reduced—now limited only to Gaza City, a significant decrease from the first round—many children in northern Gaza would have missed out on the polio vaccine dose.

To interrupt poliovirus transmission, at least 90 per cent of all children in every community and neighbourhood must be vaccinated – a prerequisite for an effective campaign to interrupt the outbreak and prevent its further spread.

Humanitarian pauses are essential for its success, allowing partners to deliver vaccination supplies to health facilities, families to safely access vaccination sites, and mobile teams of health workers to reach children in their communities.

A delay in administering a second dose of nOPV2 within six weeks reduces the impact of two closely spaced rounds on concurrently boosting the immunity of all children and interrupting poliovirus transmission.

Having a significant number of children miss out on their second vaccine dose will seriously jeopardize efforts to stop the transmission of poliovirus in Gaza.

This could also lead to further spread of poliovirus in the Gaza Strip and neighbouring countries, with the risk of more children being paralyzed.

Since the rollout of the second round of the polio campaign in Gaza on 14 October 2024, 442 855 children under ten years have been successfully vaccinated in central and south of the Gaza Strip– 94 per cent of the target in these areas.

A total of 357,802 children between two to ten years received vitamin A supplements as part of efforts to integrate the delivery of polio vaccine with other essential health services in Gaza.

It is imperative to stop the polio outbreak as soon as possible before more children are paralyzed and poliovirus spreads further. It is crucial therefore that the vaccination campaign in northern Gaza is facilitated through the implementation of the humanitarian pauses, ensuring access for wherever eligible children are located.

WHO and UNICEF urge all parties to ensure that civilians, health workers, and civilian infrastructure, such as schools, shelters, and hospitals, are protected and renew their call for an immediate ceasefire.