Israel logs 410 measles cases; vaccination drive intensified

Israel’s Health Ministry confirmed 93 new measles cases, bringing the official total to 410 since April. Officials estimate actual infections could reach 1,700. Twenty-two patients are hospitalised, two critically ill. A nationwide vaccination drive has delivered over 105,000 doses.

Jerusalem: The Israeli Health Ministry reported 93 new diagnosed cases of measles, bringing the total in the current outbreak, which began in early April, to 410.

The ministry on Sunday estimated that, due to the high hospitalisation rate and community reports, the number of infected people in the current outbreak in Israel ranges from 950 to 1,700.

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According to the ministry, the number of active diagnosed patients has increased from 120 to 162, including 22 currently hospitalised.

Two of the hospitalised patients, a one-year-old baby and a toddler nearly two and a half years old, are currently receiving ECMO support in the intensive care unit.

About a month after the outbreak, the ministry launched a nationwide vaccination completion campaign, and since then, more than 105,000 doses have been administered.

Measles is an extremely contagious viral illness characterised by common symptoms, including fever, fatigue, runny nose, and a distinctive rash. In some cases, it can result in severe or potentially life-threatening complications.

The ministry also reported a new case of West Nile fever in the southern city of Beer Sheva. This is the second confirmed case of the disease in Israel, following a diagnosis in central Israel in early June, Xinhua news agency reported.

Measles infects the respiratory tract and then spreads throughout the body. Symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose and a rash all over the body.

Being vaccinated is the best way to prevent getting sick with measles or spreading it to other people. The vaccine is safe and helps your body fight off the virus.

Before the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963 and widespread vaccination, major epidemics occurred approximately every two to three years and caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths each year.

An estimated 107,500 people died from measles in 2023 — mostly children under the age of five years, despite the availability of a safe and cost-effective vaccine.