Israeli army allows soldiers to get vaccinated against high-risk poliovirus
**After the discovery of the highly contagious Poliovirus in sewage samples in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army began a large-scale vaccination campaign for its soldiers deployed in the Palestinian territory. The vaccination applies "to all ground troops, both regular and reserve troops," the army announced on Sunday. In addition, the Palestinian population will be supplied with vaccines.
The army made no statements regarding the number of soldiers affected by the vaccinations. Currently, there are approximately 170,000 soldiers and an additional 300,000 reservists serving in the Israeli military. The decision, made in conjunction with the Health Ministry, aims to "protect the health of soldiers and Israeli citizens."
Furthermore, it was stated that the Israeli army is collaborating with other organizations to bring vaccines for the population of the Gaza Strip into the area. So far, 300,000 doses have been delivered.
According to the statement, the order was given after the army conducted samples in the Gaza Strip. The Poliovirus Type 2 was detected in the sewage samples, as per the Israeli Health Ministry's announcement in Israeli laboratories. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported similar findings. No cases of illness have been reported yet.
The highly contagious Poliovirus is the cause of Poliomyelitis - the medical term for infant paralysis. It attacks the spinal cord and can cause irreversible paralysis in children. It is usually transmitted through the feces of an infected person and is ingested through contaminated water or food.
- Following the detection of Poliovirus Type 2 in sewage samples from the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Army decided to fund a vaccine supply for its soldiers and the Palestinian population.
- After the large-scale vaccination campaign for Israeli soldiers in the Gaza Strip, the army is still awaiting reports on how many soldiers have been affected by the vaccinations.
- The Israeli army, in collaboration with other organizations, soldiers and reservists have been vaccinated after samples showed the presence of Poliovirus in the Gaza Strip, aiming to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus among the population.
