Second Round of Gaza Polio Vaccine Campaign to Include Nutrients, Additional Immunizations

Latest Developments

More than 600,000 children in Gaza are expected to receive micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals, during the second round of the joint United Nations and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) polio vaccination campaign. Citing a senior official from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Reuters reported on September 19 that UNICEF also plans to conduct nutritional screening and that “discussions are also underway about the feasibility of adding further vaccinations to the campaign, including a measles immunization.”

Between September 1 and September 12, the World Health Organization (WHO) administered the polio vaccination to more than 90 percent of children in Gaza. UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations Ted Chaiban noted that the sponsors of the polio vaccine campaign “have shown that they can line up when necessary” and that “in the same way we’ve been able to reach all the children with polio vaccines, we need to move and use the same modality to reach children with their basic vaccines” and with “nutrition and hygiene interventions.”

Expert Analysis

“Israel demonstrated it was ready to work closely with the UN to facilitate a rapid response to the threat of a polio outbreak after one confirmed case. The UN’s provision of additional nutrients with the vaccines is also fully in keeping with Israel’s facilitation of extensive deliveries of humanitarian aid and other goods to Gaza. The government’s online dashboard shows that more than 50,000 trucks have delivered their goods to Gaza since October.” — David Adesnik, FDD Senior Fellow and Director of Research

“For almost a year, protestors in Western cities have accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians. Yet these claims stand in stark contrast to reality: Israel is actively facilitating the transfer of polio vaccines and other humanitarian aid to bring some relief to Palestinians bearing the burden of a war that Hamas has brought upon them. Israel has thereby effectively relieved some pressure on Hamas, a foe that it is in an active state of war with.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Israel Coordinates With UN on Vaccine Rollout

The WHO first detected the polio virus in wastewater samples collected from Gaza in June, sparking fears of an imminent outbreak. In July, the agency said that the virus was “isolated” and that “no associated paralytic cases have been detected.” On August 23, the WHO confirmed that a 10-month-old in the enclave had been paralyzed with polio — the first case of the virus in Gaza in 25 years. Two days later, the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) — an Israeli Ministry of Defense agency focused on the supply of humanitarian aid to the West Bank and Gaza — coordinated the delivery of more than 1.25 million doses of the polio vaccination to Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing. The vaccination campaign is part of a coordinated effort between the IDF, the WHO, and other UN agencies.

On August 28, COGAT provided an update on the polio vaccination campaign, noting that cooling equipment had also been transferred, along with flyers to encourage the public to participate. “In the coming days, international and local medical teams will vaccinate children who have not yet been vaccinated against polio at various locations in Gaza,” COGAT noted in a statement. Humanitarian pauses in the fighting in Gaza “will allow the population to reach the medical centers where the vaccinations will be administered,” the statement added.

“Israel helped avert a famine in Gaza but gets no credit,” by David Adesnik

“WHO Reports Polio Vaccine Targets in Gaza Achieved,” FDD Flash Brief

“Study Finds Food Aid to Gaza Exceeds International Standards,” FDD Flash Brief

“Aiming to Boost Supply of Clean Water, Israel Connects Power Line to Gaza Desalination Plant,” FDD Flash Brief