The Polio Threat and Vaccination Efforts in Gaza
Harris made important statements to the Anadolu Agency correspondent about the polio disease that emerged during Israel’s intense attacks on the Gaza Strip and the vaccination program planned to be carried out regarding this issue. Emphasizing that one of the main reasons for the polio cases recorded for the first time in 25 years in Gaza is the complete collapse of the health system and environmental destruction, Harris said, “There is wastewater everywhere. People do not have access to basic water sources and sanitation systems.”
Spokesperson Harris said that vaccination rates in Gaza are generally very high, adding, “Before the conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, Gaza had one of the best child vaccination rates in the world. Very high vaccination rates, including for polio. More than 95 percent of children had been displaced against polio. If Gaza had been able to maintain a stable health system, clean water and sanitation services, this disease would not have threatened Gaza. But unfortunately, the conflict and destruction led us to this. terrible situation.”
Harris said the worst effect of polio is the risk of paralysis, and some cases can be fatal. “This disease is very difficult to manage and sometimes it may not show any symptoms at all,” he said. “The disease can affect anyone, but children tend to have more severe outcomes. That’s why we focus on children,” he said, emphasizing that a child who has had a stroke is likely to be paralyzed for life.
Harris said that children in Gaza have fewer chances of living a healthy life because of this virus, adding, “(In Gaza) But there are many children at risk. The most important reason for this is all the babies born after the conflict started. Remember, the conflict started 10 months ago. During this time, many babies were born and most of them were not vaccinated or very few were vaccinated. That’s why we want to vaccinate all children under the age of 10. The vaccine will protect you from “Serious effects even if you get infected. So the vaccine provides effective protection.”
Harris described the arrival of more than 1 million polio vaccines sent to the Gaza Strip by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a “positive development”, adding that the vaccines were being delivered to the region under the coordination of the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Noting that UNICEF had also provided Gaza with the necessary equipment to keep the vaccines at the right temperature and to ensure their effectiveness, Harris said the vaccines were ready and the training of the health personnel who would administer the vaccinations had been completed.
Harris, who stated that the vaccination process could take 3 to 5 days, said: “However, we do not have security and access guarantees. We need to be able to reach every child under the age of 10 in every part of the Gaza Strip . It is vital that we do this during this vaccination period. We are calling for at least a pause in the fighting so that we can do this process. The safety of those who will be administering the vaccines and our ability to reach the children. Absolutely critical.”
Harris said that the vaccination could be completed in 2 or 3 rounds, which is why the WHO sent more than 1 million vaccines to Gaza. Stating that they do not have a specific timetable to start the vaccination, Harris emphasized that they are only waiting for security guarantees. Stating that they normally plan to start the vaccination at the end of August, Harris said, “It is not possible for us to vaccinate in the current situation. We cannot do this while the conflict continues, the airstrikes continue and there are no safe ways to travel.”
