In its first two days, the campaign to vaccinate 640,000 Gazan children has been more successful than expected, a W.H.O. official said.The New York Times reports that the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the success of the polio vaccination campaign in Gaza, with over 161,000 children receiving the two-drop oral vaccine in the first two days. This number has surpassed the organization’s initial goal of 150,000 for the first phase of the campaign in central Gaza.

According to Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO’s representative for the Palestinian territories, the campaign is going well and has created an “almost festive” atmosphere as families eagerly bring their children to designated sites for vaccination. Despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes in other parts of Gaza, Israel has agreed to pauses in the fighting in specific areas to allow the vaccination drive to proceed.

The next phase of the campaign will focus on southern Gaza, where an estimated 340,000 children need to be reached, followed by the north where an additional 150,000 children will be vaccinated. The WHO and its partner agencies in Gaza have set a goal of reaching 90% of children under 10 to prevent the spread of polio, as the war and destruction of Gaza’s health care infrastructure have led to an increase in infectious diseases.

Medical Aid for Palestinians, a group supporting the vaccination effort, has highlighted the challenges of ensuring safe access for health workers and keeping the vaccines refrigerated in the face of electricity outages and fuel shortages. The success of the campaign also relies on the staggered pauses in fighting, which both Hamas and Israel have agreed to and appear to be respecting. These pauses allow families and aid workers to safely reach vaccination sites between 7:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

For many parents in Gaza, the vaccination campaign brings a sense of relief and hope for their children’s health. Mohammed Abu Hajar, a 41-year-old father, took his two children to get vaccinated, stating that “a child getting sick could lead to death” in the current conditions. He also expressed gratitude for the temporary pause in fighting, which allowed him to move around more comfortably and feel reassured that there would not be any strikes.

As the vaccination campaign continues, it is crucial for all parties involved to prioritize the safety and well-being of children in Gaza. The success of this effort not only depends on the availability of vaccines and medical resources, but also on the cooperation and commitment of all parties to ensure safe access for health workers and families. 

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