A two-year-old boy died of complications from measles following a prolonged period in hospital, Israel’s Health Ministry announced Wednesday. The child was unvaccinated.
The ministry’s statement offered no further details about the boy, who had spent weeks being treated with extra lolcorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) just before his death. According to Channel 13, he died of a secondary infection in his lungs. Another child, a year old baby girl, is currently in hospital in critical condition from measels-related issues, Channel 13 reported.
The fatality is the first reported in an ongoing outbreak that began three months ago, affecting 503 diagnosed cases, including 187 currently active ones. Most recent cases have been reported in Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh, with the majority of hospitalized patients being unvaccinated children, the Health Ministry said.
Twelve children, all under the age of six, were in hospital with measles or related compliactions on Wednesday. Three are in intensive care, and one, the year old girl, remains on ECMO. All hospitalized children are unvaccinated, except for two cases still under review, according to the ministry.
The Health Ministry added that 81% of all current, diagnosed measles patients are children, most of whom had not received the vaccine. It urged parents to make sure that their children are vaccinated for measles and other diseases.
