First Polio Case in Gaza in 25 Years Sparks Mass Vaccination Campaign Amid Conflict

The Gaza Strip has reported its first polio case in 25 years, leading to the partial paralysis of a nearly year-old child named Abdul-Rahman Abu Al-Jidyan. Officials are launching a mass vaccination campaign starting on September 1, with agreed-upon pauses in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas to facilitate the effort.

Health authorities in the Gaza Strip have confirmed the first case of polio in 25 years, affecting a nearly year-old child named Abdul-Rahman Abu Al-Jidyan.

This revelation has fast-tracked plans for a mass vaccination campaign targeting children throughout the Palestinian enclave, set to begin on September 1. Israel and Hamas have agreed to three-day pauses in fighting across Gaza's three zones to enable thousands of U.N. workers to administer the vaccines.

Health officials discovered the same strain in wastewater samples from Khan Younis and Deir al Balah in July, suggesting a possible introduction from Egypt as recent as September 2023. Limited access to routine vaccinations, partly due to the closure of Gaza hospitals amid Israel-Hamas conflict, has contributed to the outbreak.

In response, Israel and Hamas will implement zoned pauses in fighting starting from central Gaza, followed by southern and northern regions, ensuring safe access for vaccinations targeting 640,000 children under 10 years old. These vaccines have been sourced from global emergency stockpiles and will be administered by both medical centre staff and mobile teams.

(With inputs from agencies.)