The Health Ministry warned on Thursday that parents should complete their child’s routine measles vaccinations as outbreaks have been reported in the Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh area.
Over the past three months, 245 measles cases have been diagnosed, and there are currently 91 active cases. Of the active cases, almost half were diagnosed over the past week.
A large majority (87%) of new cases were diagnosed in children.
There are currently 12 children hospitalized, all under six years old. Three are in intensive care, two are in critical condition, and one is on ECMO.
Only three of the 12 hospitalized children were vaccinated.
Signs and symptoms of measles
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that symptoms typically appear between seven and 14 days after infection.
Symptoms of the disease include high fever, cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis, and tiny white spots in the mouth. Within 3-5 days after the symptoms begin, patients also experience a rash on the face and hairline, which eventually spreads down the body.
While not every case is fatal, one in 20 children who catch the measles develops pneumonia, and 1-3 in every 1000 children who contract the disease die of respiratory or neurological complications.