A large polio vaccination campaign started in war-torn Gaza on Sunday, September 1. The initiative, which is being led by the World Health Organization (WHO), aims to reach over 640,000 children under the age of ten.
To facilitate the vaccinations, Israel has agreed to pause its military operations in the central part of Gaza from 6am to 3pm for three days. Similar pauses are expected to follow for the northern and southern parts of the enclave – also for three days each.
Polio is a highly contagious virus, which is spread between humans and can have life-altering health consequences. It has disappeared in most countries since the introduction of vaccinations. The last case in the UK, for example, was detected in the 1990s.
