In response to the growing outbreak of measles, Israel’s Chief Rabbis, Rabbi Kalman Ber and Rabbi David Yosef, issued an urgent public call for vaccination.
“Recently, there has been an outbreak of measles, posing a serious threat to many — endangering the lives of children, adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems. According to leading medical experts in Israel and worldwide, vaccination is the response to this disease,” the rabbis wrote.
The rabbis reiterated that the public must cooperate with Israel’s healthcare system.
“We call on the public in Israel to fully cooperate with all medical authorities and to follow their guidance,” they urged.
They further emphasized the obligation to prevent illness before it strikes: “A person needs a healthy body to fulfill his purpose and mission in life, and everyone is obligated to make efforts to prevent illness in advance. Vaccination is a key part of preventive medicine.”
On Thursday morning, Israel's Health Ministry reported that 48 measles cases have been diagnosed across Israel, with the source of infection for some patients still unknown.
A particularly alarming statistic shows that 77% of those infected had not been vaccinated at all. Of the total cases, 40 are children under the age of 18 (83%) — none of whom were fully vaccinated.
Currently, 13 patients are hospitalized, including 11 children. Three of these children, who were completely unvaccinated, are in critical condition in intensive care units. The Ministry warned that these figures point to a far wider outbreak than what has so far been reported.