A one-and-a-half-year-old toddler who had contracted measles collapsed on Saturday evening after experiencing multi-system failure in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood. Paramedics who were called to the scene found him unconscious and began resuscitation efforts. He was evacuated to Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital, where intensive resuscitation efforts continued, but the medical teams were ultimately forced to pronounce him dead.
This is the sixth death from measles since the outbreak began, and the fourth death in the past week alone. Just two days ago, the fifth fatal case was reported: a one-year-old infant who was rushed to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in critical condition after suffering from the disease for three weeks. He was transferred while undergoing prolonged resuscitation, but doctors were unable to save him.
Earlier this week, a one-year-old baby girl who had been hospitalized about two months ago at Hadassah Ein Kerem also passed away from measles. She had been in serious condition, suffering from severe respiratory distress and was connected to an ECMO machine. Medical staff fought for weeks to save her, but ultimately, secondary organ failure led to her death. Over the weekend, another unvaccinated toddler also passed away.
Currently, 21 measles patients are hospitalized in Israel, most of them children under the age of six who were not vaccinated. Seven of them are in intensive care, and one is connected to an ECMO machine. The majority of the patients belong to the charedi community.
The Ministry of Health warns that measles is a highly dangerous viral disease that can lead to severe complications, including pneumonia, meningitis, and even death, particularly among infants, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems.
Measles is transmitted through the air via coughing or sneezing, and infects over 90% of unvaccinated individuals who are exposed to an infected person.
The first symptoms typically appear about two weeks after infection and include high fever, dry cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a characteristic rash that begins on the face and spreads throughout the body.
In Israel, two routine doses of the measles vaccine are administered: The first dose at 12 months of age, the second dose in first grade (around age 6). In areas experiencing outbreaks, the Ministry of Health recommends advancing the second dose to 18 months of age. In addition, infants aged 6 to 12 months may receive the vaccine in cases of exposure to the disease or before traveling to outbreak regions.
Last week, the ministry instructed clinics to allow immediate vaccination of infants aged 6 to 11 months at Maternal and Child Health Clinics (Tipat Chalav) even without an appointment in areas with active outbreaks.
Currently, active measles outbreaks are recorded in the following towns and cities: Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, Harish, Modi’in Illit and Nof HaGalil.Vaccination centers have been set up in these cities, where vaccines are available without requiring an appointment. Parents can check their children’s vaccination status via the digital vaccination record on the government’s personal website.
In cases of exposure to a measles patient, preventive protection is provided according to age and vaccination status:Active vaccination within 72 hours, or passive immunization (immune globulin) up to 6 days after exposure.Unvaccinated pregnant women, infants, and immunocompromised individuals will receive tailored preventive treatment.
The Ministry of Health continues to emphasize that the measles vaccine is the most effective and safest way to prevent infection and stop the spread of the disease.
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