Hospital (illustrative)
Hospital (illustrative)iStock

A 38-year-old pregnant woman, in her 15th week of pregnancy, arrived on Sunday to the emergency room at the Meir Medical Center, suffering extreme shortness of breath. She was soon diagnosed as suffering from influenza.

The woman, who was vaccinated last week, is currently in the hospital's intensive care unit.

The "flu shot" offers protection approximately three weeks after it is administered.

Separately, a 57-year-old man with a preexisting condition was hospitalized in the pulmonary unit, and transferred a few days ago to the intensive care unit after suffering severe shortness of breath. he, too, was diagnosed as suffering from the flu.

Both patients are unconscious and breathing with the help of respirators.

On Monday evening, a 54-year-old woman from northern Israel became the 18th Israeli to die this winter due to complications from influenza. Last week, a one-year-old baby died in his home due to complications of the flu. The baby, who had not been vaccinated, was rushed to Hadassah's Mount Scopus campus, where doctors were forced to declare his death.

A report Monday showed that of the 17 Israelis who had died until then of flu, only one had received the vaccination. In addition, out of the 167 Israelis currently hospitalized in serious condition due to flu complications, only five had been vaccinated prior to becoming ill.