Despite a surge in vaccinations, measles cases continue to climb, with 503 confirmed infections and 12 unvaccinated children hospitalized. 'This death was entirely preventable,' said a Health Ministry official, warning that the real numbers may be far higher
A two-year-old child who was not vaccinated against measles died Wednesday after several weeks connected to an ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) machine, the Health Ministry announced. This marks the first fatality in the current outbreak, which began roughly three months ago.
According to ministry data, 503 people have been diagnosed with the disease – most of them residents of ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods in and around Jerusalem.
The Ministry of Health has launched a nationwide campaign to encourage vaccinations and reported a significant rise in inoculation rates in four major ultra-Orthodox cities. However, the number of infections continues to rise.
According to the Ministry, hundreds of measles cases have been diagnosed in recent months, but a conservative estimate suggests there are an additional 1,200 patients yet to be identified.
