The second spherical of an emergency polio vaccination marketing campaign is scheduled to start out on 14 October 2024 in Gaza, to vaccinate an estimated 591 700 youngsters below ten years of age with a second dose of the novel oral polio vaccine kind 2 (nOPV2) vaccine.
This follows a first round, which was efficiently carried out from 1-12 September 2024 and vaccinated 559 161 youngsters, or an estimated 95% of eligible youngsters at governorate degree, based on independently performed post-campaign monitoring. As with the primary spherical, the second spherical could have three phases, every involving three marketing campaign days and one catch-up day.
A minimal of two doses of nOPV2 are wanted to interrupt poliovirus transmission. Nevertheless, this can solely be achieved if not less than 90% of all youngsters are vaccinated in all communities and neighbourhoods. On this spherical, vitamin A might be co-administered alongside polio vaccine, to assist enhance general immunity amongst youngsters between the ages of two and 9 years.
The marketing campaign, being performed by the Palestinian Ministry of Well being in collaboration with the World Well being Group (WHO), the United Nations Kids’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Reduction and Works Company for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), and different companions is a part of emergency efforts to cease the polio outbreak in Gaza, which was detected on 16 July 2024, and forestall additional unfold of poliovirus.
As soon as once more, meticulous planning, coordination and implementation will see an intensive community of groups vaccinating at chosen well being amenities and outreach posts. Cell groups will actively attain out to households residing in shelters, tents and camps for internally displaced individuals. Native groups might be deployed in areas that want particular coordination to achieve youngsters, together with those that couldn’t obtain vaccine within the first spherical. The primary spherical demonstrated that overwhelming logistical challenges — together with working amid devastated infrastructure and fixed inhabitants actions — may be overcome by way of an awfully resilient and devoted well being workforce and robust neighborhood demand for polio vaccination, if all events respect the deliberate humanitarian pauses.
Greater than 800 social mobilizers will attain out to households to lift consciousness on the significance of taking the second dose in addition to on the dates and areas. Radio spots, quick message providers (SMS) and all digital channels obtainable in Gaza can even amplify these messages. This outreach will proceed till the spherical concludes.
Moreover, logistical and programmatic wants, comparable to coaching well being and neighborhood employees, provision of ample provides, recording of knowledge by impartial displays, and demarcation of areas being lined by cell groups, have been streamlined for the second spherical.
To cowl the 2 rounds, 1.6 million doses of the vaccines had been delivered up to now two months in addition to 20 fridges, 10 freezers, 100 ice bins, and 800 vaccine carriers — all gear required to take care of vaccines at a temperature between 2 and eight°C.
As soon as once more, a humanitarian pause might be a pre-requisite to implementing a profitable second spherical, significantly to make sure all polio employees can function in a secure and safe atmosphere, and communities and households can receive vaccination for youngsters with out worry.
A considerable constraint to the polio marketing campaign will once more be reaching youngsters residing in areas outdoors humanitarian pauses , who weren’t lined within the final spherical. This requires coordination and approvals to permit programme supervision and monitoring, which might contribute considerably to making sure all youngsters, no matter their location, are vaccinated.
WHO and UNICEF renew their urgent request to all events to the battle to implement the required humanitarian pauses in Gaza for this second spherical. That is significantly important as new evacuation orders within the north of Gaza are threatening entry to hospitals and safety of well being amenities and well being and neighborhood employees. Vaccination groups should be protected and allowed to conduct the campaigns safely. We urge all events to make sure their safety, and that of well being amenities and youngsters.
Editors’ notes
Circulating variant poliovirus kind 2 was confirmed in Gaza in six environmental samples in July 2024, in a ten-month-old paralysed baby in July 2024, and in one other 5 environmental samples collected on 5 September 2024.
Extra data on the World Polio Eradication Initiative, and every day updates on the outbreak response marketing campaign, can be found on the initiative’s website. Scroll down the web page to the listing of polio-affected international locations and click on on ‘occupied Palestinian territory’).
