02:53Khan Younis's Al Nasser Hospital has begun administering polio vaccines to children on Saturday as the Palestinian Ministry of Health launched an emergency vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip after the enclave reported its first case of the disease in over two decades.
"Fear is everywhere, whether from the war or from diseases spreading among children. My concerns for my child increase every day with the ongoing war and the spread of more diseases," said one local, Adli Abu Taha.
On August 16, the health ministry confirmed the first case of polio in Gaza for a quarter of a century in an 11-month-old baby. This comes after the virus was detected in sewage samples taken from Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah in July 2024.
"I have an 11-month-old child who was delivered during the war," Abu Taha said. "I came out of concern for my son in case he contracts any diseases. I gave him the first dose of the vaccine, which is very safe, as confirmed by the Ministry of Health and organisations overseeing the campaign. God willing, there will be a second dose in four weeks, and I will give my son the second dose."
The health ministry is collaborating with UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to vaccinate an estimated 640,000 children under the age of ten in the strip.
Director General of Primary Health Care at the Palestinian Ministry of Health Mousa Abed said that 'vaccination is the only solution' to protecting children from the deadly disease.
"The importance of these vaccinations is protecting children from polio. Polio is a very serious disease; if children are infected, they could suffer from paralysis or even death," he added.
The polio vaccination campaign is scheduled to take place over two rounds during September. The campaign aims to protect hundreds of thousands of young Gazan children from contracting poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2).
However, the WHO and UNICEF say two seven-day humanitarian pauses should be implemented to allow the vaccination campaign to be carried out safely and ensure access to health facilities for children and families.
Earlier, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) announced it would launch a campaign to vaccinate its soldiers deployed in Gaza against the poliovirus.
Polio is a highly contagious virus that infects the nervous system and can lead to paralysis. It spreads mainly through the transmission of faecal material from an infected person to other people through contaminated water or food.
The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza broke out on October 7 after the Palestinian group launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel, killing 1,139 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200, according to Israeli officials.
Israel launched a large-scale response of airstrikes and a ground incursion. Palestinian officials reported that 40,691 people had been killed and more than 94,060 injured at the time of publication.
'Fear is everywhere' - Khan Younis launches polio vaccination campaign after Gaza reported first case in 25 Years
Khan Younis's Al Nasser Hospital has begun administering polio vaccines to children on Saturday as the Palestinian Ministry of Health launched an emergency vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip after the enclave reported its first case of the disease in over two decades.
"Fear is everywhere, whether from the war or from diseases spreading among children. My concerns for my child increase every day with the ongoing war and the spread of more diseases," said one local, Adli Abu Taha.
On August 16, the health ministry confirmed the first case of polio in Gaza for a quarter of a century in an 11-month-old baby. This comes after the virus was detected in sewage samples taken from Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah in July 2024.
"I have an 11-month-old child who was delivered during the war," Abu Taha said. "I came out of concern for my son in case he contracts any diseases. I gave him the first dose of the vaccine, which is very safe, as confirmed by the Ministry of Health and organisations overseeing the campaign. God willing, there will be a second dose in four weeks, and I will give my son the second dose."
The health ministry is collaborating with UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to vaccinate an estimated 640,000 children under the age of ten in the strip.
Director General of Primary Health Care at the Palestinian Ministry of Health Mousa Abed said that 'vaccination is the only solution' to protecting children from the deadly disease.
"The importance of these vaccinations is protecting children from polio. Polio is a very serious disease; if children are infected, they could suffer from paralysis or even death," he added.
The polio vaccination campaign is scheduled to take place over two rounds during September. The campaign aims to protect hundreds of thousands of young Gazan children from contracting poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2).
However, the WHO and UNICEF say two seven-day humanitarian pauses should be implemented to allow the vaccination campaign to be carried out safely and ensure access to health facilities for children and families.
Earlier, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) announced it would launch a campaign to vaccinate its soldiers deployed in Gaza against the poliovirus.
Polio is a highly contagious virus that infects the nervous system and can lead to paralysis. It spreads mainly through the transmission of faecal material from an infected person to other people through contaminated water or food.
The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza broke out on October 7 after the Palestinian group launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel, killing 1,139 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200, according to Israeli officials.
Israel launched a large-scale response of airstrikes and a ground incursion. Palestinian officials reported that 40,691 people had been killed and more than 94,060 injured at the time of publication.
Khan Younis's Al Nasser Hospital has begun administering polio vaccines to children on Saturday as the Palestinian Ministry of Health launched an emergency vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip after the enclave reported its first case of the disease in over two decades.
"Fear is everywhere, whether from the war or from diseases spreading among children. My concerns for my child increase every day with the ongoing war and the spread of more diseases," said one local, Adli Abu Taha.
On August 16, the health ministry confirmed the first case of polio in Gaza for a quarter of a century in an 11-month-old baby. This comes after the virus was detected in sewage samples taken from Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah in July 2024.
"I have an 11-month-old child who was delivered during the war," Abu Taha said. "I came out of concern for my son in case he contracts any diseases. I gave him the first dose of the vaccine, which is very safe, as confirmed by the Ministry of Health and organisations overseeing the campaign. God willing, there will be a second dose in four weeks, and I will give my son the second dose."
The health ministry is collaborating with UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to vaccinate an estimated 640,000 children under the age of ten in the strip.
Director General of Primary Health Care at the Palestinian Ministry of Health Mousa Abed said that 'vaccination is the only solution' to protecting children from the deadly disease.
"The importance of these vaccinations is protecting children from polio. Polio is a very serious disease; if children are infected, they could suffer from paralysis or even death," he added.
The polio vaccination campaign is scheduled to take place over two rounds during September. The campaign aims to protect hundreds of thousands of young Gazan children from contracting poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2).
However, the WHO and UNICEF say two seven-day humanitarian pauses should be implemented to allow the vaccination campaign to be carried out safely and ensure access to health facilities for children and families.
Earlier, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) announced it would launch a campaign to vaccinate its soldiers deployed in Gaza against the poliovirus.
Polio is a highly contagious virus that infects the nervous system and can lead to paralysis. It spreads mainly through the transmission of faecal material from an infected person to other people through contaminated water or food.
The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza broke out on October 7 after the Palestinian group launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel, killing 1,139 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 200, according to Israeli officials.
Israel launched a large-scale response of airstrikes and a ground incursion. Palestinian officials reported that 40,691 people had been killed and more than 94,060 injured at the time of publication.