Malak al-Ghamari was deeply concerned for her children when she heard that the polio virus had reemerged in Gaza a quarter of a century after it was supposed to have been eradicated.
“I became obsessed with sterilization and hygiene, educating myself about the disease and how to protect against it. I tried to isolate my children from other children in order to protect them from infection,” Malak, a mother of four, told The Electronic Intifada.
In August, Gaza’s health ministry announced a first infection with the polio virus in 25 years – conceivably a new strain – affecting a 10-month-old child who had not been vaccinated due to repeated forced displacements.
So when Yamen, 7, Malak’s son, suddenly refrained from moving or speaking after the family was forced to flee from al-Maghazi area – their fifth displacement – to the house of a relative in Nuseirat, Malak was worried.
She noticed Yamen’s confusion and sudden shaking. ….more
