Global Health Expert Warns over Child Vaccination Crisis in Gaza
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A senior global health professional raised concerns over the recent arrival of vaccine doses in Gaza, cautioning that while the vaccines have entered the territory, the chaotic situation there may hinder the actual vaccination process.
The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the arrival of thousands of doses targeting childhood diseases like polio and measles, addressing a deteriorating health crisis in Gaza. But a senior medical professional has warned that it is “not the same as vaccinations”.
“That some vaccine doses are now being let into Gaza does not mean, amid the chaos, bombardment and displacement, that children will be vaccinated,” Dr. Annie Sparrow, an associate professor of global health at the Icahn School of Medicine in New York, said.
She warned of a looming public health crisis if these challenges persist.
Yasser Bouzia, the head of international relations in the Health Ministry in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, said there are some 60,000 newborn babies in Gaza, who would normally receive vaccination but who have been largely cut off from medical services because of Israel’s war on the territory, Reuters reported.
The vaccine supply, enough for approximately 8 to 14 months of vaccination, entered Gaza through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, facilitated by the use of Egyptian government cold storage facilities.
