Parents in Gaza rush to vaccinate kids against polio despite fears about the war
Infectious disease has returned to the region after 25 years amid attacks from Israel in war against Hamas
A Palestinian child is vaccinated against polio in the northern Gaza Strip. Photo: ReutersGhadir Hajji rushed to a clinic in hopes her five children would be vaccinated against polio. This potentially deadly disease has re-emerged in Gaza amid attacks from Israel in its war against Hamas.
Last month, health officials reported the first case of polio in Gaza in 25 years. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said 72,611 children were vaccinated as of September 1. The campaign aims to vaccinate more than 640,000 children in Gaza.
Polio is highly infectious and most often spread through sewage and contaminated water.
This is an increasingly common problem in Gaza, where many buildings have been destroyed by Israel. The disease mainly affects kids under aged five.