Israel has agreed to three “humanitarian pauses” in the war on Gaza to allow the administration of polio vaccines in the Gaza strip, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday, August 29. Each pause will be three-days long. The decision follows the diagnosis of a 10-month-old child with polio on Friday August 23, the first case in Gaza in over 25 years. The infant’s lower left leg was paralyzed as a result. The WHO plans to vaccinate around 640,000 children under age 10. The World Health Organization’s Plan Starting on Sunday September 1, vaccinations will be administered by United Nations (UN) staff and over 2,000 local healthcare workers. Gaza will be split up into three regions. Vaccination will begin in Gaza’s center, then move downwards to southern Gaza before finishing at northern Gaza. The fighting will be paused in each area for three consecutive days from 6am to 3pm local time to facilitate vaccinations, with potential for a fourth day if 95 percent vaccination coverage is not achieved. Polio vaccines work by temporarily giving the recipient a weakened version of the virus to develop immune system resistance. WHO…
Israel Agrees to ‘Humanitarian Pauses’ for Polio Vaccination in Gaza
August 31, 2024
