National immunization campaign against polio reached more than 330,000 children in Aleppo.

UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), with the Ministry of Health, with thanks to generous contributions from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) and GAVI, The Vaccine Alliance.

UNICEF
31 October 2021

On 10 October, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), with the Ministry of Health, conducted a five-day national immunization campaign against polio, providing children up to the age of five years with the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), regardless of their previous vaccination status. The campaign aimed to reach 2.780 Million children in 14 governorates across Syria, at fixed health centres and through mobile teams, with thanks to generous contributions  from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI)v and GAVI, The Vaccine Alliance.

Boy receiving vaccine drops
UNICEF/Syria/2021/Adel Janji
Mouhamad, 5 years, receives his Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) during a five-day national immunization campaign in Alhelwaniya neighborhood, Aleppo, northwest Syria.
Boy receiving vaccine drops
UNICEF/Syria/2021/Adel Janji
“We live in a remote village. So, I couldn’t get my son vaccinated at all last year,” says the mother of Adel, 1.5 years, from Aleppo, northwest Syria. “I will make sure he gets all his upcoming vaccines on time,” she added after having heard from a UNICEF-supported mobile health team about the importance of the vaccine.
Baby receiving vaccine drops
UNICEF/Syria/2021/Adel Janji
Ranim, 1 month, receives her first ever vaccine during the five-day national immunization campaign against polio that took place earlier in October, supported by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) with the Ministry of Health.

Prior to and during the campaign, UNICEF-supported community outreach volunteers and health workers went on awareness household visits and held group sessions, raising the awareness of families on the importance of the vaccine. UNICEF-supported volunteers also shared informative messages on the streets and engaged with doctors and local community figures about polio and the safety of the vaccine.

women and children gathered around health workers
UNICEF/Syria/2021/Adel Janji
A UNICEF-supported mobile health team vaccinates children against polio in Alhelwaniya neighbourhood, Aleppo, northwest Syria, during a five-day national immunization campaign that took place earlier in October.
Girl receiving vaccine drops
UNICEF/Syria/2021/Adel Janji
Iman, 5 years, receives her Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) in Alhelwaniya neighborhood, Aleppo, northwest Syria, from a mobile team health worker, during the five-day national immunization campaign against polio that took place earlier in October.
group of health workers
UNICEF/Syria/2021/Adel Janji
UNICEF-supported Department of Health mobile team roam the neighborhood of Alhelwaniya, Aleppo, northwest Syria, announcing to people, using megaphones, the start of the immunization campaign against polio and inviting them to bring their children, aged 0 to 5 years, to get vaccinated.

In Aleppo, the campaign provided more than 330,000 children up to five years with the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), in some 60 fixed centres and through over 100 mobile teams, supported by more than 800 health workers across the governorate.

Girl raising her marked finger
UNICEF/Syria/2021/Adel Janji
“My mother always tells me that vaccines are important to make me stronger, so when I heard them announcing a campaign through megaphones, I rushed to get vaccinated,” says Mirvat, 5 years, while showing her marked pinky finger after having received the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) in Aleppo, northwest Syria.
Boy raising his marked finger
UNICEF/Syria/2021/Adel Janji
Ali, 5 years, shows his little finger after having received the oral polio vaccine, in Alhelwaniya neighborhood, Aleppo, northwest Syria, during the national immunization campaign against polio that took place earlier this month.
A child's finger getting marked with a marker pen
UNICEF/Syria/2021/Adel Janji
Children in Aleppo get their little fingers marked to indicate having received the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) during the national immunization campaign against polio, supported by UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) with the Ministry of Health earlier this month.