An infant boy, age 1.5 years, has died of measles, Israel's Health Ministry reported Sunday afternoon.
The infant, who was unvaccinated, was brought to the hospital in critical condition
The infant's death is the tenth since the outbreak began earlier this year. It is esimated that the death rate from measles in developed countries is approximately 1:1000 cases, suggesting that the outbreak has already topped 10,000 cases, even if most are not reported.
Most of the children who died were healthy and unvaccinated infants and toddlers who had no pre-existing conditions.
In its statement, the Ministry urged parents to vaccinate their children as soon as possible, and stressed the importance of seeking medical attention promptly at the onset of symptoms or upon suspicion of infection.
"Timely care saves lives," the statement emphasized.
"The Ministry reiterates that measles is a preventable disease through a safe and effective vaccine," the statement added.
Measles vaccines are routinely given to children at the ages of one year and six years. However, since the start of the outbreak, the Health Ministry has moved the age of the second dose to 1.5 years, and allowed an initial first dose to be administered to infants aged 6-11 months. This "bonus" dose is not counted as one of the routine vaccinations, and is only given in outbreak areas or to infants who are traveling abroad or to affected areas.
Areas currently considered to have an outbreak include Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, Bnei Brak, Harish, Modi’in Illit, Nof Hagalil, Kiryat Gat, Ashdod, Tzfat (Safed), Netivot, Haifa, Tiberias, the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, and Tekoa.
In these areas, residents can receive vaccinations at Tipat Halav (Mother and Child) clinics, health maintenance organization (HMO) clinics, and special measles vaccination centers, with no appointment required.
The Ministry advises unvaccinated individuals and parents of infants aged 6-11 months who received only one dose to avoid large gatherings in outbreak cities due to high risk of exposure.
The public is also advised to avoid attending large gatherings in cities identified as outbreak hotspots, especially infants who have only received the first dose or have not been vaccinated at all.