A 1½‑year‑old unvaccinated toddler died Sunday after arriving at the North Medical Center (Poriya) in critical condition. This is the tenth death from measles since the beginning of the outbreak; with the exception of one, all were healthy children with no underlying illnesses who were not vaccinated against the disease.
According to ynet, the toddler arrived a few days ago at the hospital and his parents refused hospitalization. Early Sunday morning he returned to Poriya Medical Center in very serious condition, with respiratory symptoms linked to measles. His condition deteriorated during the morning; he was placed on a ventilator and the medical team performed CPR, after which they had to pronounce his death.
All of these fatal cases likely could have been prevented if the children had been given the measles vaccine, which is effective in preventing complications, is safe, and is used worldwide. The Health Ministry has emphasized the importance of seeking medical care promptly if symptoms appear or measles exposure is suspected.
“Measles is a particularly dangerous and highly contagious disease, with severe immediate and long‑term complications and even death," said Dr. Saed Abbuzaid, director of the Pediatric Department at Poriya. "The disease can be prevented by the routine vaccine given at age one, but due to the current outbreak it is recommended to vaccinate even earlier, according to Health Ministry guidelines.”
According to the ministry’s Data World update last week, there are 10 measles cases in Tiberias. Data released at the end of September show that about 19% of city residents are unvaccinated.
Since the beginning of the outbreak, 271,399 vaccinations have been administered across the country, of which 149,390 were in targeted postal‑code cities. The national uptake for the first dose of the measles vaccine among ages 1–6 now stands at 89.5%.
Since September, compared with the same period last year, Jerusalem has seen a 515% increase in vaccinations and Beit Shemesh an even greater increase of 560%. Accordingly, first‑dose coverage among ages 1–6 in Jerusalem rose from 77% to 84%, and in Beit Shemesh from 72% to 83%.
Additionally, the rate of vaccine administration (first and second doses) compared to last year has risen: Jerusalem – 4 ×; Beit Shemesh – 5.5 ×; Bnei Brak – 3.9 ×.