From 31 March to 26 April, the Ministry of Health, with support from WHO, UNICEF and vaccines funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, implemented a nationwide Big-Catch Up campaign to trace zero-dose and under-immunized children and close critical immunity gaps. Nearly 900,000 children were targeted across 19 districts in four governorates, including all districts in Deir ez-Zor, Al-Hasakah and Ar-Raqqa, in addition to Manbij, Ain Alarab and Deir Hafeer in Aleppo. Children reached during the campaign also received oral polio vaccine, regardless of their previous vaccination status.
“Our work is not only giving vaccines,” she said. “It is also listening to parents and helping them feel comfortable. People want to protect their children. Sometimes they only need someone they trust to explain.” She explained that some families are initially hesitant, often influenced by rumours or lack of information. But many change their minds after speaking directly with health workers.
Among the children reached was Mona, whose family learned about the campaign when vaccination teams moved through the village with loudspeakers. For families unable to travel to urban health facilities, the arrival of mobile teams has made access to services easier.
Mona’s mother said her family had previously missed a dose due to limited awareness. “Now I understand how important it is,” she said. “When the team came to our area, it made it easier for us to vaccinate our children.”
In Ar-Raqqa, vaccinators described the detailed planning behind the campaign. Communities were mapped in advance, target numbers reviewed, and mobile teams assigned to reach hard-to-access areas.
“We prepare area by area, so no child is missed,” one vaccinator said. “When families see us arrive, most welcome us because they know the teams and trust the vaccines.”
In Deir ez-Zor, Ghufran Walid Al-Khazan, a vaccination supervisor at Al-Qusour Health Centre, said the impact of the campaign is most visible when children who previously missed are reached. “When a child who missed earlier doses receives the vaccine, it means they are now protected,” she said.
