Ultra-Orthodox extremists opposed to vaccines continue to spread false claims that put lives at risk. Over the weekend, as a fourth infant died of measles within just a few days and 20 others remained hospitalized in serious condition, a group calling itself “Guardians of Life” distributed anti-vaccine leaflets in ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods.
The flyers, handed out at shopping centers and synagogues, contained false information aimed at scaring parents out of vaccinating their children. Another pamphlet from an organization called “Hason” claimed that Israel does not provide parents with full information before administering vaccines.
The campaign comes even though, two months ago, the rabbinical court of the ultra-Orthodox Eda Haredit, considered the spiritual authority of these radical factions, issued a letter urging parents to vaccinate their children against measles. “Those who have not yet vaccinated their children must do so as soon as possible, fulfilling the Torah’s commandment to ‘safeguard your lives,’ in order to prevent the spread of the disease,” the statement read. The rabbinical court stressed that “this is a matter of life and death (pikuach nefesh).”
Israel’s chief rabbis, Rabbi David Yosef and Rabbi Kalman Meir Ber, have also spoken out forcefully in recent months in support of vaccination. Yosef reiterated the call on Sunday: “I appeal sincerely to all our brothers and sisters: vaccinate your children against measles. The reality before our eyes makes it clear that this is truly a matter of life and death. A parent who refuses to vaccinate bears grave responsibility for bloodshed, according to halakha, without doubt or hesitation. It is a sacred duty for every parent to vaccinate their children as quickly as possible, without delay. By doing so, with God’s help, we will save many lives. Amen.”
On Saturday, an infant who had undergone resuscitation efforts at Hadassah Mt. Scopus Hospital in Jerusalem died. On Thursday, doctors at the same hospital pronounced the death of a year-and-a-half-old boy who had contracted measles a month earlier and was not vaccinated. During Rosh Hashanah, a one-year-old girl who had fallen ill with measles and was brought in critical condition to Hadassah Ein Kerem also died. Last weekend, another boy, 16 months old and likewise from Jerusalem, succumbed to the disease.
At Hadassah Hospital, another infant, just 11 months old, remains in intensive care and requires ventilation. Last month, two more toddlers died from complications of the illness: a two-year-old who had been connected to an ECMO machine for weeks, and a year-and-a-half-old who died after only several days of illness. Neither had been vaccinated. All the hospitalized infants came from ultra-Orthodox communities.
The opposition to vaccines stems from a radical faction, considered extreme even within anti-Zionist circles. At present, several areas have been designated as measles outbreak hotspots: Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, Harish, Modi’in Illit, Nof Hagalil, Kiryat Gat, and Ashdod, with the last two added in recent days. In these locations, parents can bring their children to baby clinics, health funds, and dedicated measles vaccination stations, set up to boost immunization efforts, without making an appointment in advance.