The baby who died Wednesday was brought to Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital in Jerusalem in critical condition, and was pronounced dead after being rushed to the emergency room.<\/p>\n
In a Health Ministry video published following the death, Dr. Uri Pollak, acting head of Hadassah Medical Center\u2019s pediatric cardiac critical care unit, said patients were failing to receive medical attention in time.<\/p>\n
\u201cMost fatalities are caused by going to the hospital or the doctor too late,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\t As of Wednesday, there have been 2,898 confirmed cases since the outbreak began in May, over 60% of whom have been children under the age of 5, according to Health Ministry data. Hospitalizations were recorded in 973 of the cases.<\/p>\n \u201cMeasles isn\u2019t a disease from long ago,\u201d Pollak said. \u201cIt\u2019s here, it\u2019s happening now, and it\u2019s life-threatening.\u201d<\/p>\n Some two-thirds of the cases have occurred in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh, both of which have large ultra-Orthodox populations. Outbreaks have also been recorded in other towns with sizable Haredi communities, including Bnei Brak, Harish, Modiin Illit, Beitar Illit, Netivot, Safed and Nof Hagalil.<\/p>\n A contagious but preventable disease<\/p>\n Measles is a highly contagious viral disease characterized by fever, malaise, a runny nose, and a rash.<\/p>\n The rash generally appears three to five days after the first symptoms, beginning as flat red spots on the face and then spreading downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs, and feet. When the rash appears, the fever may spike over 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius), according to the US Centers for Disease Control.<\/p>\n Pollak said that as soon as these symptoms appear, medical care should be sought.<\/p>\n \t He also said that the best way to stop the spread of the disease is by vaccination, which is \u201csafe and effective, and has been used in Israel and worldwide for decades.\u201d<\/p>\n Most children will recover from measles, but infection can lead to dangerous complications such as pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and death.<\/p>\n The routine vaccination schedule recommended by Israel\u2019s Health Ministry includes two doses: at the age of 1 and in first grade.<\/p>\n However, due to the outbreak, the ministry now recommends giving a preliminary, additional dose for infants aged six months to one year in high-incidence areas in Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh, and Bnei Brak, and has expedited the administration of the second dose in those areas.<\/p>\n The previous outbreak that began in 2018 also largely centered on ultra-Orthodox communities, with over 4,300 cases reported nationwide, though only two confirmed deaths.<\/p>\n When herd immunity dips below 95 percent<\/p>\n In 2015, Israel declared itself measles-free following years of intensive and widespread vaccinations.<\/p>\n The return of the disease has been linked to declining immunization rates. According to the US Centers for Disease Control website<\/a>, measles outbreaks are now happening in every region of the world.<\/p>\n In communities with a vaccination rate of above 95 percent, measles has a harder time spreading because of what is called \u201cherd immunity.\u201d<\/p>\n \t However, a small increase in the number of parents choosing not to vaccinate \u201cis enough to rapidly trigger the kind of outbreak that we\u2019re seeing now in Israel,\u201d said Prof. Michael Edelstein, a public health expert at Bar-Ilan University\u2019s Azrieli Faculty of Medicine.<\/p>\n In November, a study<\/a> by Edelstein found that Israeli parents had become more likely to skip vaccines since the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n The research showed that 6.6% of Israeli parents who vaccinated an older child before the pandemic chose to withhold at least one key childhood immunization from a younger sibling born afterward, such as the measles-mumps-rubella and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccines.<\/p>\n One reason that people are skeptical about vaccines is that \u201cthey have been so successful that diseases like measles have almost disappeared,\u201d said Edelstein.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, in a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.<\/p>\n Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.<\/p>\n So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing\u00a0exclusive content\u00a0available only to Times of Israel Community members.<\/p>\n Thank you, \t\t\t
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/F250731CG63-640x400.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tA notice warning of \u2018measles\u2019 is seen on a door in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Mea Shearim in Jerusalem, July 31, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg\/Flash90)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/a7a468cf-363c-4d84-8a1b-9d8e895620fa-300x480.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tDr. Uri Pollak, Acting Head of Hadassah Medical Center\u2019s pediatric cardiac critical care unit. (Courtesy\/Hadassah Medical Center)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Michael-Edelstein-300x480.jpg\")
<\/a>
\n\t\tDr. Michael Edelstein, professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at Bar-Ilan University<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tYou appreciate our journalism\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/DH-new-headshot-circular.png\" "\\"\\"\/")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tJoin Our Community\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n