Gaza Polio Outbreak: Over Half A Million Children To Be Vaccinated In Second Round

In an effort to make Gaza polio-free again, a second round of vaccination campaign has begun from the 14th of October with an aim to cover 591,700 children.

The second round of an emergency polio vaccination campaign has begun on 14 October 2024 in Gaza after a very successful first round. The second round aims to vaccinate an estimated 591,700 children under ten years of age with a second dose of the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) vaccine.

This follows a first round, which was successfully implemented from 1-12 September 2024 and vaccinated 559 161 children, or an estimated 95% of eligible children at governorate level, according to independently conducted post-campaign monitoring. As with the first round, the second round will have three phases, each involving three campaign days and one catch-up day.

A minimum of two doses of nOPV2 are needed to interrupt poliovirus transmission. However, this will only be achieved if at least 90% of all children are vaccinated in all communities and neighbourhoods. In this round, vitamin A will be co-administered alongside polio vaccine, to help boost overall immunity among children between the ages of two and nine years.

The campaign, being conducted by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), and other partners is part of emergency efforts to stop the polio outbreak in Gaza, which was detected on 16 July 2024, and prevent further spread of poliovirus.