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WHO: Polio vaccinations to resume in northern Gaza on Saturday
19 February 2025 14:16 GMT
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it will relaunch its vaccination programme on Saturday, aiming to reach around 600,000 children across Gaza.
The agency said that although no polio cases had been reported in the territory since August, the virus has been detected in wastewater samples taken in December and January.
“The current environment in Gaza, including overcrowding in shelters and severely damaged water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, which facilitates faecal-oral transmission, create ideal conditions for further spread of poliovirus,” WHO said in a statement.
“Extensive population movement consequent to the current ceasefire is likely to exacerbate the spread of poliovirus infection,” it added.