Israel, Hamas set three-day pauses in fighting for Gaza polio vaccinations

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00:00Health workers in Gaza will start a vaccination campaign against polio virus after Israel

00:06agreed with the World Health Organization to allow humanitarian pauses for a vaccine

00:11roll-out. Over 640,000 children will be vaccinated across the Strip after the first case of polio

00:19appeared a few days ago in a 10-month-old baby in Deir al-Bala.

00:23We stress the critical importance for all parties to adhere to the commitments that

00:28have been made. 1.26 million doses of vaccines and 500 vaccine carriers have been delivered

00:34to Gaza with 400,000 additional doses to arrive soon.

00:39Starting in central Gaza this coming Sunday, then moving to the south and then north of

00:43the territory. The pauses will last between 6am and 3pm for three consecutive days in

00:49each zone.

00:51Polio virus is highly infectious and spreads easily through contaminated water and sewage.

00:56It affects children under the age of five, sometimes causing paralysis or deformities.

01:02As Gaza faces collapsed infrastructure and a severe sanitation crisis, an outbreak of

01:07diseases like polio is highly likely.

01:11The vaccine will be given orally in two drops. Health workers will have to administer a second

01:16round in one month's time to complete the vaccination. But arrangements for further

01:21humanitarian pauses have yet to be discussed.

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