A case of polio has emerged in Gaza, resulting in partial paralysis of a 10-month-old infant, as reported by UN officials. This marks the first polio case in Gaza in 25 years, although type 2 poliovirus was detected in wastewater samples from the region in June, the BBC reported last week. World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed deep concern over the situation and confirmed that plans are in motion to launch a vaccination campaign in the coming weeks to address the outbreak.
The affected infant, who, like most toddlers in Gaza had not received polio vaccinations due to the collapse of the Hamas government, is reported to be in stable condition after experiencing paralysis in one leg.
INDONESIA
The vaccine, nOPV2, has been used for outbreak response under WHO Emergency Use Listing (EUL) approval since March 2021. Obviously, no one in the West has seen or used it, but as of December 2023, approximately 1 billion doses of the vaccine have been administered across 35 countries. Oh, and you should know that in December 2023, nOPV2 earned full licensure from the Indonesian regulatory authority.
ALERT
Two Israeli scientists, Dr. Yoav Yehezkali and Prof. Retsef Levi, on Monday sent an urgent letter to Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and to Health Minister Uriel Buso, warning that the nOPV2 polio vaccines being brought into the Gaza Strip are not safe, and may spread the disease in Gaza and eventually Israel, instead of eradicating it, Israel Hayom reported on Monday.
The two scientists explain that WHO sent an experimental vaccine to Gaza containing a live, weakened polio viruses, and many risks are associated with this vaccine. “It is prone to mutations, which can create active polio strains and may release vaccine-induced polio. Such a release may lead to the spread of the virus in the sewers, causing illness, especially to unvaccinated and immunocompromised infants. Administering a live attenuated vaccine to 640,000 children in a short period of time significantly increases the risk of releasing the virus and creating a widespread infection,” Yehezkali and Levi wrote.
The two warned that the Israeli public is also at risk from the type of vaccine that was sent to Gaza. “The fact that the sewer system in Gaza was damaged as a result of the war increases the risk of the virus leaking into the Mediterranean Sea or the Israeli groundwater. Such a leak could significantly worsen the spread of the live virus, thus also endangering public health in Israel.”
Israel’s health ministry has already recommended that the IDF vaccinate the fighters against polio, due to the spread of the virus in Gaza.
INDONESIA
Yehezkeli and Levy added that the vaccine brought to Gaza is not recognized in the West and is prohibited for use in Israel. “The nOVP2 vaccine designated by the World Health Organization for Gaza children is not approved for use in any of the Western countries, and its clinical studies have not yet been completed.
“The vaccine is produced in Indonesia – a developing country where there is no access to information about the production conditions in the factory, and it is only administered in developing countries, under an emergency permit from the World Health Organization,” they wrote, adding, “Even in Israel, the pharmacy division did not allow it to be imported for these reasons. Gaza will, therefore, be used as an experimental laboratory by the World Health Organization, and the children of Gaza will serve as guinea pigs for this vaccine.”
GUINEA PIGS
The NY Times reported on Monday that the Hamas Health Ministry confirmed the arrival of vaccines in Gaza, with preparations underway to vaccinate children under 10. However, the distribution timeline to medical centers remains uncertain, especially given the UN’s recent announcement of a temporary halt to its humanitarian operations. This pause came after the Israeli military ordered evacuations in Deir al-Balah, where the UN’s central operations are based.
Despite this setback, a senior UN official, speaking anonymously, told the Times on Monday that plans for polio vaccinations would proceed as scheduled.
Thomas White, Director of UNRWA Affairs in Gaza, outlined that more than 3,000 individuals would participate in the vaccination campaign, with about one-third of the vaccines administered by UNRWA employees. Mobile health teams are set to deliver vaccines to shelters, clinics, and schools. However, White emphasized the need for a humanitarian pause to ensure parents and children can safely access these vaccination sites.
