Estimates indicate that one in five children under three years of age do not receive any doses or have not been vaccinated due to the war, putting them at risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
The recovery campaign aims to vaccinate these children against measles, mumps and rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, polio, rotavirus and pneumonia.
It will be carried out by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, in collaboration with the Gaza Ministry of Health.
‘A moral imperative’
To help address the devastating impacts of conflict on children’s health and nutrition, UNICEF and its partners will also screen children for malnutrition and ensure that those suffering from this condition receive treatment and ongoing monitoring.
“After two years of relentless violence that claimed the lives of more than 20,000 children in the Gaza Strip, we finally have the opportunity to protect those who survived,” said Jonathan Veitch, UNICEF Special Representative in the State of Palestine.
“Vaccinating all children and supporting their health and nutrition is not just a humanitarian intervention; it is a moral imperative. This is how we safeguard the future of children born in a disaster and begin to rebuild hope in the midst of devastation.”
Hundreds of trained workers
The campaign will be implemented in three rounds, starting from November 9 to 18.
More than 450 healthcare workers and support staff have been trained to support vaccination efforts.
Additionally, 149 doctors have been trained to recognize, report and investigate any post-vaccination health problems, although these cases are extremely rare.
“Much more is needed”
“This immunization campaign is a lifeline that protects children’s health and restores hope for the future,” said Dr. Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
However, he stressed that “much more is needed and WHO is working to rebuild Gaza’s fragile health system so that every child, every community, can access the care they deserve.”
Before the conflict, Gaza maintained 54 immunization facilities. It was also among the world leaders in childhood vaccination coverage, with a rate of 98 percent.
Today, 31 immunization centers are no longer operational, having been damaged or destroyed in indiscriminate attacks, while routine vaccination coverage is now below 70 percent.
The final two phases of the campaign, which aim to provide children with their second and third doses of the vaccine, are planned for December and January.
In 2024, the UN and its partners launched a massive campaign across the Gaza Strip to vaccinate children against polio.
