November 13, 2026
The Minister of Public Health, Dr. Rakan Nasser Al-Din, held an emergency meeting to assess the potential health risks to Lebanon, against the backdrop of recording cases of polio caused by a vaccine-derived virus in the Syrian governorate of Deir ez-Zor, and to raise the level of preparedness and strengthen prevention, surveillance and immunization measures.
The Director of the National Immunization Program, Dr. Randa Hamadeh, and members of the Scientific and Advisory Committees for Vaccination, Dr. Bernard Gerbaka, Dr. Muhammad Itani, and Dr. Abdel Rahman Al-Bizri, participated in the meeting. The representative of the World Health Organization, Dr. Ahmed Zouiten, and the representative of UNICEF, Dr. Shaw Ank, were also present, along with experts and technical teams from the two organizations, the technical team of the National Immunization Program, and those responsible for epidemiological surveillance and preventive medicine in the Ministry.
The attendees discussed the repercussions of the regional epidemiological situation on Lebanon, stressing the need to take urgent measures amid the emergency circumstances that the country is going through and their potential effects on the regularity of vaccination services and routine coverage.
In the most prominent preventive measures, the attendees approved strengthening coordination with the General Directorate of Public Security to verify the vaccination status of children arriving through official border crossings, and to facilitate the vaccination of those in need to complete their doses, especially with the oral polio vaccine, in cooperation with the relevant health teams. Emphasis was also placed on intensifying routine vaccination in areas with low coverage, strengthening epidemiological surveillance for early detection of suspected cases, and continuing technical cooperation with the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
The Minister of Public Health stressed that protecting children is a shared national responsibility that includes the ministry, the public and private sectors, schools, families, and all partners.
For its part, the Ministry of Public Health called on parents to ensure that their children complete all doses of vaccines prescribed within the National Immunization Program without compromise or delay, noting that vaccines are available free of charge and of high quality in primary health care centers affiliated with the Ministry’s network, its partners and cooperating private clinics.
The Ministry explained that Lebanon has maintained its polio-free status for the twenty-third year in a row thanks to national efforts and the continuation of immunization programs, stressing that maintaining this achievement requires constant vigilance and commitment to preventive measures. The Ministry concluded by emphasizing that “vaccination is a basic right for every child and a shared responsibility to protect society,” calling on everyone to deal with the latest development with the highest levels of awareness. For inquiries, the Ministry has allocated two numbers for the Primary Health Care Department: 01-830371 – 72.
