Israel's Health Ministry on Wednesday evening reported that there may be a pertussis outbreak in a day camp in northern Israel, Kikar Hashabbat reported.
The camp, located in the Acre (Akko) Subdistrict, saw one of its campers diagnosed with pertussis on Sunday.
Immediately upon receiving a report of the diagnosis, the district health office opened an epidemiological investigation, which revealed that the infected child had not been vaccinated against pertussis. The investigation also revealed that 30 people were in close contact with the child. Some of these were instructed to make an appointment with their physician in order to receive preventive treatment.
Meanwhile, the district health office has instructed the day camp to contact parents and provide them with all of the relevant information pertaining to both pertussis and vaccination against it. The parents were also instructed to take their children to their pediatricians and report exposure to a pertussis patient in order to receive preventive treatment.
"The Health Ministry is continuing with the epidemiological investigation and will provide updates as they become necessary," the Ministry said. "The Health Ministry would like to remind everyone that pertussis is an especially dangerous disease for infants up to the age of six months, and that it may cause complications and death. Vaccinations provided to infants offer protection against a number of diseases, including pertussis and polio."
"The Ministry emphasizes the importance of providing the routine vaccinations against infectious diseases, some of which can cause serious complications and death. It is important to be prompt with the routine vaccinations, in order to prevent outbreaks of infection among children and those around them. A vaccinated child is a protected child."
Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, head of public health services in the Health Ministry, said, "The drop in routine vaccinations causes outbreaks of diseases which could have been prevented. A vaccinated child is a protected child. As a doctor and as a mother, I call on all parents to vaccinate their children. The routine vaccinations protect against infectious diseases, some of which can cause serious complications and death. Being careful to give the routine vaccinations is important in order to protect our children."