The pauses, lasting from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., will last at least three days in three separate areas, starting in central Gaza and then moving south and north.
Polio vaccination in Gaza: The World Health Organization has announced that a long-awaited polio vaccination campaign in Gaza will begin next Sunday. The health regulator said Israel had agreed to offer temporary pauses in fighting to allow health workers to administer the vaccines in Gaza, where a case of the debilitating disease has been recorded for the first time in 25 years.
The breaks, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., will last at least three days in three separate zones, starting in central Gaza and then moving south and north, according to Rik Peeperkorn, who heads WHO operations in the occupied Gaza and West Bank. A second dose will be administered to those who receive the vaccine four weeks later, he said, speaking from Gaza at a virtual news conference for journalists at the United Nations in New York.
“Due to insecurity, damage to roads and infrastructure and displacement,” Peeperkorn said, “three days might not be enough” to reach the expected 90 percent coverage rate. “It has been agreed that, when necessary,” breaks will be “extended by one day per area.” The approvals, he said, have been granted by COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for administering civilian policies within the occupied territories.
Ten-month-old baby paralyzed by poliovirus type 2
On 23 August, WHO confirmed that at least one unvaccinated 10-month-old baby had been paralysed by poliovirus type 2 – the first such case in the country in 25 years.
Scientists who have been monitoring polio outbreaks said the baby’s illness exposed the failures of a global effort by the WHO and its partners to fix serious problems in its otherwise largely successful eradication campaign that has nearly eliminated the highly infectious disease.
The polio strain in question evolved from a weakened virus that was originally part of an oral vaccine that was credited with preventing millions of children around the world from becoming paralyzed, but that virus was removed from the vaccine in 2016 in hopes of preventing vaccine-derived outbreaks.
What is polio?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, polio (also known as poliomyelitis) is a disease caused by a poliovirus that causes mild or asymptomatic symptoms in most people but can cause paralysis or even death in some. There are three variants of the virus, known as wild poliovirus types 1, 2, and 3 (WPV1, WPV2, and WPV3).
Type 1 polio is more likely to cause paralysis.
Doctors say the polio virus enters the body through the mouth or nose and reproduces in the throat and intestine. In some cases, it travels to the brain and spinal cord, causing paralysis. Paralysis can affect the arms, legs or muscles that control breathing.
Why is polio making a comeback?
According to authorities, the resurgence of polio is attributed to the destruction of water and sanitation infrastructure in war-torn areas. Many voluntary organisations say the combination of overcrowding, displacement and a decimated health care system has created a perfect storm for the virus to spread rapidly through the population.
Apart from Gaza, which has been under Israeli offensive since last year, cases have also been reported in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Earlier this month, a case of poliovirus was also reported in Meghalaya.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.