In an attempt to ensure her five children would be among the first to receive the polio vaccine—which has resurfaced in Gaza—Ghadir Hajji hurried to a clinic on Sunday.
The family was waiting in queue for a vaccine drive that was announced after health officials revealed last month that this was the first case of polio in the besieged territory in 25 years. “They have to be vaccinated,” she told reporters.
We immediately responded to the Ministry of Health’s text messages.” She was joined by thousands of other Gazans who, in spite of worries for their personal safety and rumours that the vaccine would not be safe or effective, were afraid of polio, which is extremely contagious and potentially fatal.
Due to Israel’s destruction of much of Gaza’s infrastructure during its war with Hamas, sewage and contaminated water are the most common ways that the highly contagious poliovirus spreads.
Children under the age of five are primarily affected by the disease. It is potentially lethal and can result in deformities and paralysis.
According to Louise Wateridge, a spokesman for UNRWA, the organisation that provides aid to Palestinian refugees, almost 2,000 children received vaccinations on Sunday at one clinic in Deir Al Balah alone.
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