What the world needs now is a person with a vaccine, not a person with a gun.
Twenty-five years of vaccinations were as successful in Gaza as they have been in the United States. Vaccination rates were previously at 99%. There were no reported cases of polio in Gaza. Until now. See Julian Borger, Baby in Gaza Partly Paralysed From Polio in Territory's First Case For 25 Years, The Guardian (online Aug. 23, 2024).
A young boy has reportedly been partially paralyzed by polio. The World Health Organization (WHO), which is telling the world about the spread of polio, is gearing up to vaccinate children even though they and the children run the risk of being shot to death.
Obstacles to physical transportation of polio vaccine from the rest of the world to the Middle East do not seem to be a problem. Polio vaccine is being flown into Israel and the Israeli Defense Forces command says that Israel will provide refrigerated trucks as the vaccine makes its way to Gaza.
Once in Gaza, it will be up to WHO and the United Nations to deliver the vaccines at the risk of their lives.
"It is not enough to bring the vaccines into Gaza and protect the cold chain. To have an impact, the vaccines must end up in the mouths of every child under the age of 10," says the head of the UN relief agency involved in this effort.
Transportation and technical problems have been solved, it seems. Now it's time to solve the problem of letting people deliver vaccine to the children, without being shot.
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