In a delicate operation balancing public health and ongoing conflict, Gaza launched a historic polio vaccination campaign this morning. Healthcare workers are embarking on a multi-day mission to inoculate 640,000 children under the age of 10 against the potentially paralyzing virus.
The urgency of this effort became apparent earlier this summer when wastewater samples revealed the presence of an early variant of type 2 poliovirus. Alarm bells rang louder last month when the first polio infection in over 25 years was confirmed in a 10-month-old child.
"This is a critical moment for Gaza's children," said Dr. Hamid Jafari, WHO's director of polio eradication in the region. "We're not just fighting polio; we're racing against the compounded threats of conflict and potential outbreak."
A series of humanitarian pauses in the Israel-Hamas conflict have been negotiated to facilitate the campaign. These brief windows of relative calm allow relief workers to traverse the 41km (25-mile) long Gaza Strip, administering oral vaccines at makeshift points often set up in schools.
Although queues formed early in the morning, the campaign faces daunting logistical challenges beyond the ever-present threat of renewed hostilities. The vaccines require strict temperature control from production to administration, a tall order in Gaza's scorching heat, expected to reach 29°C (84°F) today.
"Maintaining the cold chain is crucial," explained a UNICEF spokesperson. "We're working with limited resources, but failure isn't an option. These vaccines are lifelines."
The vaccination drive is scheduled in phases, with the first round targeting central Gaza from September 1-4. Subsequent phases will cover Khan Younis, Gaza City, and northern Gaza, with a second dose planned four weeks later.
This massive undertaking comes against a backdrop of continued tension. Overnight, Israel announced the recovery of six hostages' bodies from a tunnel in Rafah, a grim reminder of the conflict's human toll.
As the day progresses, health workers race not just against the clock but against the myriad challenges posed by conflict, infrastructure limitations, and the threat of disease spread.
* The BBC contributed to this article.
