The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday that its polio vaccination campaign in Gaza has successfully immunized 161,000 children in just two days, surpassing the agency's initial target of 156,500.

Speaking at a UN press briefing in Geneva, WHO spokesperson Richard Peeperkorn shared preliminary data revealing that approximately 74,340 children were vaccinated on the second day of the campaign, in addition to the over 86,600 vaccinated on the first day.

The vaccination drive is now in its third day, with efforts concentrated on vaccinating the remaining children in central Gaza by the end of the first round. Peeperkorn emphasized that coordinated missions are ongoing in areas outside the agreed pauses to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated, as the campaign zones do not encompass the entire enclave.

"Special teams are making sure no child is missed," Peeperkorn said. "In areas such as Al Maghazi, Al Bureij, and Al Mussader, vaccination teams encountered larger-than-expected populations." He added that two additional vaccine dispatches were sent to primary health centers in Al Maghazi and Al Bureij due to the high demand.

Before the conflict that began on October 7, Gaza had a high level of vaccination coverage, with 99% of children receiving the second dose of the inactivated polio vaccine in 2022. However, due to the ongoing conflict, this coverage has dropped to below 90% in the first quarter of 2024, heightening the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio.

Peeperkorn warned of a high risk of variant poliovirus type 2 within Gaza and internationally, citing gaps in children's immunity caused by disruptions in routine vaccination, new births, the decimated health system, population displacement, malnutrition, and damaged water and sanitation systems.

Despite the challenging circumstances, Peeperkorn confirmed that the campaign is progressing smoothly, with no significant security issues reported. "So far, things are going well," he noted. "We hope that this success will lead to improved humanitarian cooperation on other issues."

The first round of vaccinations will be followed by a second dose administered four weeks later. The urgency of the campaign was underscored by the recent confirmation of Gaza’s first polio case in 25 years, discovered in a 10-month-old child last month. (ILKHA)