POLIO OUTBREAK IN GAZA
The first polio case in 25 years has been recorded in the Gaza Strip. This led to a groundbreaking limited pause in fighting by Israel and Hamas to allow the World Health Organisation (WHO) to begin a large-scale vaccination campaign.
The WHO said by Wednesday all the children in central Gaza were vaccinated. The organization then moved on to the more devastated northern and southern parts of the war-torn strip.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 640,000 children were vaccinated by Saturday and on Sunday a further 72,600 children received vaccines.
Early on Sunday, there were reports of Israeli strikes in central Gaza. It wasn’t immediately known if anyone was wounded or killed.
According to a schedule released by Israeli authorities, the pause ended on Sunday afternoon although the vaccination program will continue straight through to 9 September. WHO’s goal is to vaccinate for eight hours every single day.
AP New reports that Gaza recently reported its first polio case in 25 years – a 10-month-old boy, now paralyzed in a leg. The WHO says the presence of a paralysis case indicates there could be hundreds more who have been infected but aren’t showing symptoms.
Image credit: AP News