Delayed polio vaccinations resume in Gaza, agencies say

Bangkok Post Group

A delayed polio vaccination campaign in Gaza resumed on Saturday (November 2) after the rollout was derailed by Israeli bombardments, mass displacement and lack of access. - REUTER

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00:00The third phase of a delayed polio vaccination campaign in Gaza resumed on Saturday after

00:07being derailed by Israeli bombardments, mass displacement and lack of access.

00:12Families with young children queued for the vaccine at this clinic in Gaza City.

00:17The vaccination campaign began on September 1 after the World Health Organization confirmed

00:21that a baby was partially paralyzed by the type 2 polio virus in August.

00:27It was the first such case in the territory in 25 years.

00:31The WHO and the UN Children's Agency UNICEF said the area covered by the September agreement

00:36had been substantially reduced and would now only cover Gaza City.

00:40The final phase of the campaign had aimed to reach an estimated 119,000 children under

00:4610 years old in northern Gaza with a second dose of an oral polio vaccine.

00:51Achieving this target is now unlikely due to constraints on access, according to a statement.

00:57Jamil Ali, the head of the clinic, says the reduced campaign impacts its effectiveness

01:02in preventing the spread of the disease.

01:05The Israeli Army's Palestinian Civil Affairs Agency, Kogat, said it was helping to coordinate

01:10the three-day campaign.

01:12Once complete, it said there would be an assessment to decide whether to extend.

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