Gaza has been polio-free for 25 years and 95% of the population was vaccinated against the disease as of 2022, according to the WHO, though Haj-Hassan, the pediatrician, said that many Gazans, including newborns, have gone without vaccines or boosters for the last nine months.
The WHO said that it’s working with other U.N. agencies and health authorities in Gaza to assess how much the poliovirus has spread and determine what measures may be needed, including a “prompt” vaccination campaign.
Combatting any infectious diseases will present challenges for Gaza’s public healthcare system, which has been embattled and largely destroyed by Israeli forces. Only 16 out of the enclave’s 36 hospitals are even partially functional, and only 45 of the 105 primary health care facilities are operational, according to the WHO.
Some people would look you straight in the face and tell you that even though Israel did all this to the health care system, the enemy is Hamas and not the entire population of Gaza. As if they didn’t know what destroying hospitals leads to.
The polio virus does not like higher temperatures. At 4°C it survives best outside a host, but only at certain soil conditions, and even then only for a half to one year.
Yes and no. There is actually a high rate of symptom-free polio carriers, but also implies a non-neglectable amount of carriers with symptoms. Which does not fit into the “25 yeare polio free” scenario.
Some people would look you straight in the face and tell you that even though Israel did all this to the health care system, the enemy is Hamas and not the entire population of Gaza. As if they didn’t know what destroying hospitals leads to.
What makes me wonder: if Gaza is polio-free for 25 years, where does the virus come from?
Most viruses come from our soil. This could be wild or just contamination due to the conditions.
The polio virus does not like higher temperatures. At 4°C it survives best outside a host, but only at certain soil conditions, and even then only for a half to one year.
Now that’s a disturbing thought.
Especially as there is a party in the game that has the capabilities and a motive.
It’s possible for people to carry the virus without actually getting sick. See Typhoid Mary, for example.
Yes and no. There is actually a high rate of symptom-free polio carriers, but also implies a non-neglectable amount of carriers with symptoms. Which does not fit into the “25 yeare polio free” scenario.