Unvaccinated 18-Month-Old Dies from Measles After Arriving at Hospital in Critical Condition

The Ministry of Health reports that a toddler, about a year and a half old and unvaccinated against measles, has died today from complications of the disease after arriving at the hospital in critical condition.

This marks the tenth measles-related death since the outbreak began, most of which were healthy children without underlying conditions who had not been vaccinated.

The Ministry of Health reiterates that measles is a vaccine-preventable disease, with a safe and effective vaccine available.

The ministry emphasizes the importance of seeking medical care promptly if symptoms appear or if exposure to the disease is suspected. Timely medical attention can save lives.

Vaccination recommendations:

All children are advised to receive the measles vaccine at age one and again at age six as part of the routine immunization schedule.

In outbreak areas:

• Administer the second vaccine dose early, at 18 months of age.
• An additional vaccine dose is recommended for infants aged 6–11 months in outbreak areas or when traveling to such areas.

Current outbreak areas include Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, Harish, Modi’in Illit, Nof HaGalil, Kiryat Gat, Ashdod, Safed, Netivot, Haifa, Tiberias, the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, and Tekoa.

In these areas, vaccines are available at Maternal and Child Health Clinics, HMOs, and temporary measles vaccination stations set up to strengthen immunization efforts. No prior appointment is required. The Ministry recommends that unvaccinated individuals and parents of infants who have received only one dose (6–11 months) avoid large gatherings in outbreak cities due to the risk of infection.

Watch this video featuring Dr. Safi Mandelovitz, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Health, and pediatric ICU directors discussing (in Hebrew) the importance of measles vaccination. Credit: Ministry of Health.

Also included is a video from Prof. Shlomo Mor Yosef, Chair of Leumit Health Services, about measles and the vaccine. Credit: Ministry of Health.

For outbreak data, visit the ministry’s “World of Data” page in Hebrew..