The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Sunday that they had found that water in the Gaza Strip was contaminated with the polio virus and that they had made available the vaccine to both soldiers and the general population. Vaccination of soldiers is voluntary, the IDF said.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement:
Following reports of the presence of the poliovirus (a virus that can be transmitted by drinking or ingesting contaminated water) in the Gaza Strip, the IDF conducted sample testing in various areas where poliovirus residues were found. Based on the results, the IDF, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, has decided that troops operating in the area should be vaccinated against the virus to ensure the health of soldiers and the Israeli public.
The Technical and Logistics Directorate (J4) has launched a widespread vaccination operation targeting all ground forces, including regular and reserve forces. Vaccinations will be carried out in stages as units replenish. These vaccinations are part of the IDF’s responsibility to its citizens and soldiers.
Additionally, soldiers were instructed to practice good personal hygiene. It is important to emphasize that soldiers who do not want to be vaccinated will not be required to get vaccinated.
In parallel with the vaccination operation for its soldiers, the IDF is working with various organizations to bring vaccines to the Gaza Strip for the Gaza residents. With the help of international organizations, about 300,000 doses of polio vaccine have been brought to the Gaza Strip since the start of the war, enough for more than one million Gaza residents.
Ghassan Arian, the coordinator of government activities in the Gaza Strip, is currently in contact with the international community with the aim of making available additional doses of polio vaccines for the Gaza Strip population.
Polio has been eradicated in many parts of the world. It can cause paralysis and death. There are intense efforts to eradicate it, many of which are led by volunteer organizations from Rotary International, and are typically administered by oral vaccination.
Joel B. Pollack is executive editor of Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday The show airs Sunday nights from 7 to 10 p.m. (4 to 7 p.m. ET) on SiriusXM Patriot. He is the author of “Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” which is available for preorder on Amazon. He also wrote,Trumpian virtue: The lessons and legacy of Donald Trump’s presidency” is available on Audible. He is the 2018 recipient of the Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter. Joel Pollack.
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