Under the vaccination independent monitoring program, the personnel of Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) in Syria monitored a new polio vaccination campaign implemented by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Syria Vaccination Team across Idlib and Aleppo, with strict COVID-19 preventive measures.

Over the past few months, the campaign reached out to 860,499 children under five years of age. It was an attempt to give oral polio vaccines to those children not covered by the previous campaigns, which would help to eliminate polio in northern Syria.

QRCS acted as a neutral observer to make sure that the vaccination process met international standards. A well-trained team of QRCS personnel were deployed across the target areas to ensure adequacy of vaccination hubs, validity of injections, good performance of vaccinators, and safe outreach to children.

Other tasks of the monitoring team included correcting any procedures not complying with the plan, applying the Coronavirus control measures, reporting on the progress and final results, and proposing recommendations.

QRCS has considerable experience in monitoring child vaccination campaigns against infectious diseases. Its representation mission in Gaziantep, Turkey, holds intensive in-house and in-site training courses to improve the monitoring, planning, follow-up, and reporting skills among the observers, so that they are qualified to accompany the vaccinators wherever they go.

For years now, QRCS has been engaged in monitoring many child vaccination campaigns in Syria against polio, measles, and rubella. It worked together with many UN agencies, international humanitarian organizations, and local charities to protect millions of Syrian children in Aleppo, Idlib, Latakia, Hama, and other Syrian governorates.