Estimates indicate that one in five children under the age of three have not received any doses or been vaccinated because of the war, putting them at risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
The catch-up 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 the conflict on children’s health and nutrition, UNICEF and its partners will also screen children for malnutrition and ensure that those who suffer from it receive treatment and continued monitoring.
“After two years of relentless violence that has 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 every child and supporting their health and nutrition is not just a humanitarian intervention; it is a moral imperative. It is how we safeguard the futures of children born in disaster and begin to rebuild hope in the midst of devastation.”
Hundreds of trained workers
The campaign will be implemented in three cycles, from November 9 to 18.
More than 450 health workers and support staff have been trained to support vaccination efforts.
In addition, 149 doctors have been trained to recognize, report and investigate any post-vaccination health problems – although such cases are extremely rare.
“We need a lot more”
“This vaccination campaign is a lifeline, protecting the health of children and restoring hope for the future,” said Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
However, he stressed that “there is still much to do, 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 had 54 vaccination centers. It is also among the world leaders in terms of childhood immunization coverage, with a rate of 98 percent.
Today, 31 vaccination centers are no longer operational, having been damaged or destroyed during 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 vaccines, are planned for December and January.
In 2024, the UN and its partners launched a mass campaign across the Gaza Strip to vaccinate children against polio.
