In Brief: Israel transfers 5,000 H1N1 vaccinations to Gaza

Photo: Ciao-Chow/Flickr

Israel has received 300,000 vaccinations for pandemic H1N1 so far (file photo)

TEL AVIV, 8 November 2009 (IRIN) - Israel’s Civil Administration announced on 5 November that it had transferred 5,000 pandemic H1N1 vaccinations to Gaza for Hajj pilgrims leaving to Saudi Arabia via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

''Swine flu is a worldwide problem, it does not stop at borders. An outbreak of swine flu will endanger the Palestinian population and also endanger the state of Israel,” said Colonel Moshe Levi, commander of the Gaza District Coordination Office. He added that the International Committee of the Red Cross had donated the vaccines and arranged for their transfer to Gaza.

Israel allowed 20,000 doses of the vaccine into Ramallah in the West Bank for the same purpose.

Israel has received 300,000 vaccinations for pandemic H1N1 so far and began mass vaccinations of Israelis in high-risk groups on 5 November. Some 35 Israelis and one Palestinian have died from H1N1.

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