It is estimated that one in five children under the age of three have either missed a dose or missed vaccinations due to the war, putting them at risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.
The catch-up campaign aims to vaccinate these children against measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis, tuberculosis, polio, rotavirus, and pneumonia.
This project will be implemented by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, the World Health Organization and partners, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
“moral necessity”
To help address the devastating effects of conflict on children’s health and nutrition, UNICEF and its partners will also screen children for malnutrition and ensure that those with this condition receive treatment and ongoing follow-up.
“After two years of sustained violence that has claimed the lives of more than 20,000 children in the Gaza Strip, we finally have a chance to protect those who have survived,” said Jonathan Fitch, UNICEF Special Representative for the State of Palestine.
“Vaccinating every child, and supporting their health and nutrition, is not just a humanitarian intervention; it is a moral imperative. This is how we protect the future of children born in disasters and begin to rebuild hope in the midst of devastation.”
Training hundreds of workers
The campaign will be implemented in three rounds starting 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 health concerns following immunization – although such cases are extremely rare.
‘More is needed’
“This immunization campaign is a lifeline, protecting children’s health and restoring hope for the future,” said Dr. Richard Peppercorn, WHO Representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
He stressed that “much more is needed, and the World Health Organization is working to rebuild the fragile health system in Gaza so that every child and every community can receive the care they deserve.”
Before the conflict, Gaza maintained 54 immunization facilities. It was also among the world’s leading countries in childhood vaccination coverage, at a rate of 98 percent.
Today, 31 vaccination facilities are no longer operational, having been damaged or destroyed in indiscriminate attacks, while routine vaccination coverage is now less than 70 percent.
The final two phases of the campaign, which aims to provide children with the second and third doses of vaccines, are scheduled to be implemented in December and January.
In 2024, the United Nations and its partners launched a large-scale campaign throughout the Gaza Strip to vaccinate children against polio.
