Israel facilitating vaccinations after polio found in Gaza sewage
The Israeli army said it is vaccinating soldiers against polio after the virus was found in samples of Gaza sewage, the Israel Defence Forces said on Sunday.
In the Gaza Strip, raw sewage is discharged directly into the Mediterranean Sea on Jan. 25, 2023. Photo by Majdi Fathi/TPS
The Israel Defence Forces added that in cooperation with international aid organizations, approximately 300,000 polio vaccines — enough for more than one million Gaza residents — have been brought to the Strip.
The IDF said it is not aware of any active cases of polio among Palestinians or Israeli soldiers.
Polio is a highly contagious virus that is usually caught by ingesting contaminated water or food. Severe cases can lead to paralysis, respiratory problems and death. Many countries have eradicated polio, but the virus festers in situations of poor sanitation and sewage control.
Israel’s Health Ministry on Thursday found evidence of poliovirus type 2 in two sewage samples from the Gaza area, which it said were consistent with test results from the World Health Organization in Egypt.
Booster shots will be made available to all soldiers serving in Gaza or before they are rotated in, but added that no troops will be obligated to be vaccinated.
On July 2, Israel began boosting the amount of electricity supplied to Gaza to operate the Strip’s sewage and water desalination systems.
In December, an injured Israeli soldier died of a fungal infection he picked up from contaminated soil in Gaza. Experimental treatments failed to save Staff sergeant (res.) Hanan Drori as the fungus overpowered the 26-year-old’s organs.
At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 116 remaining hostages, more than 30 are believed dead.
