Gaza Herald – The Palestinian Ministry of Health has launched an urgent vaccination campaign for children under three, after nearly two years of Israeli siege and bombardment left tens of thousands of infants without their routine immunizations. The campaign, supported by UNRWA, the Red Crescent, UNICEF, and the WHO, will operate across 150 health centers for ten days.
Health workers say the drive comes as Gaza faces a growing risk of epidemics due to overcrowded shelters, contaminated water, and the collapse of the health system under Israel’s ongoing blockade. Many children missed multiple vaccine doses, leaving them highly vulnerable to preventable and deadly diseases.
Officials urged families to bring their children for vaccination despite the devastation and displacement, stressing that “vaccination is the first and last line of defense” in a Gaza where healthcare remains deliberately suffocated, even under a so-called ceasefire.
