Gaza City: The Ministry of Health has announced an extension of the emergency polio vaccination campaign in Gaza City, adding an extra day to its schedule across four centers. Minister of Health Majed Abu Ramadan confirmed that the campaign will continue at Sheikh Radwan Center, Al-Shati Center, Muscat Al-Rahma Center, and Al-Daraj Center.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA, the campaign’s second round in the Gaza Governorate originally spanned three days. Minister Abu Ramadan highlighted that children in the northern Gaza Strip have faced difficulties in receiving the second dose of the vaccine due to ongoing escalations in Israeli occupation aggression, which have disrupted access to treatment and vaccination centers, thereby posing significant risks to children’s health. The second dose is deemed crucial for full immunity and preventing future transmission of the virus.
The Ministry revealed that during the campaign’s second round, in collaboration with the World Health Organizatio
n, UNICEF, and UNRWA, 556,477 children under the age of ten were vaccinated. Additionally, Vitamin A supplements were provided to 448,173 children aged two to ten across various centers within the Gaza Strip. Minister Abu Ramadan stated that, as of Monday evening, 94% of the targeted children in the southern governorates had received their vaccinations.