Health officials have initiated a large-scale vaccination campaign to protect children in the war-torn territory.
On Sunday, families flocked to clinics, including Ghadir Hajji and her five children, eager to receive the crucial vaccine after the first case of polio was reported last month.
“They absolutely have to be vaccinated,” Hajji stressed as they waited in line. The threat of polio—a highly contagious virus that primarily affects children under five—has amplified fears among Gaza’s population, already strained by months of conflict.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered over 1.26 million doses to the territory, aiming to vaccinate more than 640,000 children. Louise Wateridge, spokesperson for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), noted that nearly 2,000 children were vaccinated at a single clinic in Deir el-Balah on the campaign’s first day.
The polio virus thrives in conditions where sanitation is compromised, a growing concern in Gaza, where infrastructure has been devastated by ongoing hostilities. The vaccination campaign identifies 159 centers across the territory, with mobile health teams marking vaccinated children’s thumbs with ink as a record of their immunization.
Despite the urgency of the campaign, fears of safety lingered as a temporary ceasefire was enacted to facilitate vaccinations.
“It’s very hard to go from living in absolute fear… to suddenly be assured, ‘Oh no, it’s fine now,’” Wateridge admitted, highlighting the ongoing anxiety surrounding the conflict.
