Al Jazeera
More than 13,700 Palestinian children in Gaza have been vaccinated in the first round of an immunisation campaign, according to the WHO and UNICEF.
The vaccination drive – which also involves UNRWA, Gaza’s Health Ministry, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance – was carried out between November 9 and 20 to safeguard children’s health after two years of war.
In a statement, the WHO and UNICEF said a quarter of the children vaccinated had previously begun their routine vaccinations, but later missed out on jabs because of Israel’s war on Gaza.
“With winter weather worsening living conditions, including flooding makeshift shelters and increasing public health risks, the urgency of rolling out the next phases cannot be overstated,” they said, adding that the enclave’s health needs “remain immense”.
The campaign also screened 6,827 children for malnutrition, with 508 of them referred for treatment after they were found to be acutely malnourished.
The vaccination drive – which also involves UNRWA, Gaza’s Health Ministry, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance – was carried out between November 9 and 20 to safeguard children’s health after two years of war.
In a statement, the WHO and UNICEF said a quarter of the children vaccinated had previously begun their routine vaccinations, but later missed out on jabs because of Israel’s war on Gaza.
“With winter weather worsening living conditions, including flooding makeshift shelters and increasing public health risks, the urgency of rolling out the next phases cannot be overstated,” they said, adding that the enclave’s health needs “remain immense”.
The campaign also screened 6,827 children for malnutrition, with 508 of them referred for treatment after they were found to be acutely malnourished.
