UNICEF and WHO Joint Statement: Second Round of Routine Immunization Catch-up Campaign Begins in the Gaza Strip

16 January 2025, Jerusalem, the second round of a routine immunization catch-up campaign in the Gaza Strip, led by UNICEF, UNRWA, WHO and partners in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, is taking place from 18 to 29 January 2026. This round aims to reach children under the age of three, strengthening protection against vaccine-preventable diseases following two years of conflict and disruption to health services. As winter conditions, heavy rainfall, overcrowding and poor water and sanitation increase the risk of disease outbreaks, the campaign plays a vital role in protecting children’s health.

Vaccination activities will be carried out by 170 vaccination teams at 129 health facilities, with seven mobile teams deployed to hard-to-reach communities across the Gaza Strip. The Ministry of Health, UNICEF, WHO, and UNRWA are coordinating and mobilizing vaccinators and more than 250 social mobilizers to ensure eligible children are reached.

The first round of the campaign, conducted from 9 to 20 November 2025, successfully protected over 14 000 children against measles, mumps and rubella, diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, polio, rotavirus, and pneumonia. Nearly a quarter of the children who visited vaccination sites had missed scheduled doses or entire vaccine series, underscoring the importance of catch-up efforts to close immunity gaps caused by the conflict. Prior to this first round, UNICEF brought into the Gaza Strip all vaccines and essential cold chain equipment required to fully conduct three rounds of the campaign. More than 450 health workers and support staff were trained ahead of the campaign launch by UNICEF, WHO, the Ministry of Health, and partners to support vaccination efforts.

The campaign is being carried out in close partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. To ensure children receive the full course of required vaccinations and in efforts to continue restoring routine immunization, a third and final round of the campaign is planned for April 2026.

While efforts to protect children’s health and rehabilitate the health system are being scaled up, the situation in the Gaza Strip remains terribly challenging for children and families. Since the ceasefire began, more than 1246 people have reportedly been injured and 449 killed, including over 100 children, further straining already overstretched health services. Only around half of the Gaza Strip’s 36 hospitals are currently partially functional, and efforts to strengthen diagnostic capacity continue to be hindered by delays in the entry of laboratory equipment classified as dual-use.

As the second round of the catch-up campaign rolls out, WHO and UNICEF reiterate their call for the protection of civilians, sustained and unimpeded access across the Gaza Strip, and the timely entry of medical supplies and equipment, including revitalized cold chain system  — all essential to saving lives. WHO and UNICEF call for all parties to continue respecting the ceasefire and ultimately for lasting peace.

Note to Editors: Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent diseases. Over the past 50 years, essential vaccines against just 14 diseases have saved at least 154 million lives