A 1-year-old girl from Jerusalem has died of measles, Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital announced Wednesday evening, marking the second child to die of the disease in less than a week.
The girl had been hospitalized in critical condition for two months. Doctors placed her on an ECMO machine, which provides heart-lung support, after she was admitted with severe breathing problems.
“For weeks the medical team fought for her life, but secondary illnesses that developed as a result of measles caused her organ systems to fail,” the hospital said.
Her death comes just days after a 1-year-and-4-month-old boy, also from Jerusalem, died of measles complications. Neither child had been vaccinated, according to the Health Ministry.
Since last month, four children in Israel have died from measles complications. Two other toddlers, one age 2 and another a year and a half, died earlier this month.
The Health Ministry has urged parents to vaccinate their children, noting that the routine MMR vaccine provides strong protection. The first dose is given at age 1 and the second at age 6. In outbreak areas, the second dose is moved up to 18 months, and infants between 6 and 11 months are advised to get an early dose before traveling or if they live in affected areas.
Outbreaks are currently active in Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, Harish, Jerusalem, Modi’in Illit and Nof Hagalil. As of this week, 24 measles patients were hospitalized across Israel, most of them unvaccinated children under 6.