Delivering life-saving vaccines to every child in the Gaza Strip

[1]In the Gaza Strip, where about 1.9 million people are internally displaced, life-threatening hostilities continue, and humanitarian space is rapidly shrinking, another, less visible crisis threatens the health and well-being of children.

Nearly three months into the escalation of hostilities, an estimated 16,854 children have missed their routine vaccinations, leaving their immunity compromised at a time of significant vulnerability. Before October 7, significant progress had been made to improve the health and wellbeing of children in the State of Palestine, with immunization coverage of key vaccines as high as 99 per cent. Despite efforts to maintain immunization coverage since then, the relentless socio-economic decline, ongoing escalations, and interruptions in healthcare services posed significant challenges. The conflict  disrupted routine vaccinations and disease surveillance systems in recent weeks, increasing the risk of outbreaks of deadly but preventable diseases, such as measles and polio.

[1] OCHA, 5 December 2023

Despite the security risks, in November, UNICEF with WHO and partners managed to extract 3,000 doses of essential vaccines for polio and measles, mumps, and rubella from the Palestinian Ministry of Health central warehouses in northern the Gaza Strip and move them to health clinics operating in the south of the Strip.  However, the risk of communicable disease outbreaks remained high, with many cases of meningitis, skin rashes, chickenpox, and other diseases recorded, with particularly alarming rates of respiratory infections and diarrhea in children under five.

Faten, a mother to a one and a half-year-old child, shares the concerns of countless mothers in Gaza "During these tough times, diseases are spreading fast. Vaccination is crucial." She emphasized. "It is really scary not being able to vaccinate my one-year-old daughter. I am worried she might catch diseases, so I kept her away from people."

In response, UNICEF and partners have launched a rapid response to deliver some 962,550 doses of key vaccines, protecting against diseases like measles, pneumonia, and polio. Between 25 December and 29 December, over 600,000 doses of vaccines reached to the Gaza Strip, providing a crucial lifeline for children.

But then the job is not yet done. Overcrowding, harsh weather, the near-collapse of the health system, limited access to clean water and sanitation, along with increased vulnerabilities, such as injuries and weakened immunity, create a fertile ground for vaccine-preventable diseases to thrive. UNICEF is working closely with UNRWA, WHO, NGOs, local partners and other humanitarian actors operating in the Gaza Strip to ensure that all children due for vaccination receive vaccine doses.

UNICEF will support  partners to design strategies for reaching these missed children through active tracking and community outreach to encourage caregivers to bring these children to be vaccinated as well as supporting with the organization of vaccination campaigns.

For Faten, this work delivers a glimmer of hope. "Vaccines must keep coming to protect these vulnerable children from common diseases,” she says.

UNICEF continues to call for a lasting ceasefire with a humanitarian corridor for provision of immunization and other critical child survival interventions to avert unnecessary deaths associated with communicable diseases. For Every Child, safe access to health services.