WHO Will Renew Polio Vaccination Efforts in Gaza After Virus Detected Again
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced it will start another vaccination campaign in Gaza after the virus was found in wastewater samples. This marks the third vaccination effort in the region since August 2024, when a 10-month-old baby in Gazas suffered polio-induced paralysis. The two previous campaigns, which were carried out during humanitarian pauses in the war between Israel and Hamas, successfully vaccinated more than 95% of the eligible age group.
“The novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) will be administered to over 591,000 children under 10 years of age to protect them from polio,” WHO said. “The current environment in Gaza, including overcrowding in shelters and severely damaged water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure, which facilitates fecal-oral transmission, create ideal conditions for further spread of poliovirus.”
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Flu Activity Remains Elevated Nationally
Flu activity remains elevated for the 12th consecutive week last week. The CDC confirmed over 43,000 hospitalizations and 18 deaths for last week alone. Forty-four states Flu is high or very high in 43 states and Washington, DC are in the CDC’s two highest categories of flu activity (high or very high). New Jersey remains at the “very high” level. The health agency estimated that, for the season, influenza has killed a total of 19,000 people and hospitalized 430,000.
COVID-19 levels are low overall, but remain elevated in many areas of the US. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections are currently at moderate levels and trending downward.
The CDC revealed “does not anticipate” releasing any more respiratory illness updates for the remainder of this respiratory virus season. The agency did not clarify whether it would still publish updates containing only flu-related data.
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