Israel agrees to pause in fighting for Gaza polio vaccination campaign, WHO says

Although only one case has been reported, at least six wastewater samples came back positive for traces of the virus last month, meaning it is probably circulating more widely and may only be a matter of time before more children become infected.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied that there would be a general truce during the vaccination drive, but said it had approved the “designation of specific places” in Gaza.

“This has been presented to the security cabinet and has received the support of the relevant professionals,” the statement said.

Hamas said it welcomed the news and would collaborate with international organisations to help facilitate the vaccination campaign’s success, the Reuters news agency reported.

The Gaza campaign will use an oral polio vaccine (OPV) in an attempt to get the virus under control.

But for the OPV to be effective, the vaccination campaign needs to achieve very high levels of coverage – the WHO is aiming for at least 95 per cent.

Dr Hamid Jafari, the director of the WHO’s polio eradication programme in the eastern Mediterranean, previously told the Telegraph he estimates a seven-day pause would be needed for the plan to be successful. 

Even if a ceasefire is reached, doctors will have their work cut out trying to reach the people they need to vaccinate.

The aid group Mercy Corps estimates some 50,000 babies born across Gaza since the war began have not been immunised against polio.

On top of that, the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system – less than half of the territory’s 107 health facilities are currently functional – poses a serious problem.

“It forces us to find other locations to establish vaccination sites, like schools, like shelters, community centres,” said Dr Jafari.

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