Israel, Hamas set three-day pauses in fighting for Gaza polio vaccinations
Visit our website:
http://www.france24.com
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English
Follow us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/France24_en
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Health workers in Gaza will start a vaccination campaign against polio virus after Israel
00:06agreed with the World Health Organization to allow humanitarian pauses for a vaccine
00:11roll-out. Over 640,000 children will be vaccinated across the Strip after the first case of polio
00:19appeared a few days ago in a 10-month-old baby in Deir al-Bala.
00:23We stress the critical importance for all parties to adhere to the commitments that
00:28have been made. 1.26 million doses of vaccines and 500 vaccine carriers have been delivered
00:34to Gaza with 400,000 additional doses to arrive soon.
00:39Starting in central Gaza this coming Sunday, then moving to the south and then north of
00:43the territory. The pauses will last between 6am and 3pm for three consecutive days in
00:49each zone.
00:51Polio virus is highly infectious and spreads easily through contaminated water and sewage.
00:56It affects children under the age of five, sometimes causing paralysis or deformities.
01:02As Gaza faces collapsed infrastructure and a severe sanitation crisis, an outbreak of
01:07diseases like polio is highly likely.
01:11The vaccine will be given orally in two drops. Health workers will have to administer a second
01:16round in one month's time to complete the vaccination. But arrangements for further
01:21humanitarian pauses have yet to be discussed.