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According to a Channel 13 report, more than two million Israelis are unvaccinated or only partially vaccinated against measles.
A measles epidemic has been troubling the Israelis for months as it spread throughout the country, and lately also in the rest of the world. But Israeli media reports Tuesday night revealed the seriousness of the situation and the difficulty in resolving the crisis.
The Ministry of Health says it has only 115,000 doses of measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine and 100,000 additional doses of the MMRV vaccine, which combines the reduction of measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccines against MMR. Addition of varicella vaccine.
Even if the two million Israelis would come forward tomorrow to receive immunization treatment by health professionals, the Ministry of Health would not currently be prepared to offer them the necessary services, according to reported figures.
State Comptroller, Yosef Shapira, will consider reviewing the Ministry of Health's treatment of the recent measles outbreak, according to a report released in January.
The Comptroller's Office has contacted infectious disease and public health experts and is in the process of collecting data on past efforts in the measles epidemic and determining if they are sufficient.
However, no official decision has yet been taken on the next steps to take to combat the epidemic.
The ministry issued a statement warning the general public about the dangers of measles, especially that one in ten patients must be hospitalized after contracting the virus.
Nearly three percent of hospitalized patients also experienced pneumonia problems. According to the data presented at the time, three people contracted meningitis and two measles cases resulted in death.
The ministry faces intense criticism for its "ineffective" efforts to contain the epidemic.
Critics cite the late start of vaccination efforts in the Jerusalem area, which has the highest number of unvaccinated people.
In addition, those born between 1957 and 1977 received only one dose of measles vaccine and are only partially protected.
For years, the ministry has also taken no action against doctors who have distributed false information about vaccines and has not sought to urge the public to vaccinate their children. Finally, critics mentioned the lack of government support from Tipat Halav (early childhood clinics), where most infants receive their first vaccines.
The measles outbreak has emerged due to the inability of thousands of parents to get vaccinated or vaccinate their children, particularly among the haredi (ultra-orthodox) communities in Jerusalem, according to ministry officials of Health.
Community leaders and rabbis sent mobile units to entire neighborhoods to vaccinate citizens living in the affected areas.
Several members of the Knesset have responded to the epidemic in the past.
"Anti-Semites in Europe have already accused Jews of spreading the Black Death," said Bayit Yehudi coalition leader Shuli Moalem-Refaeli. "Now, [the committee] blame the haredim for measles. It is unfortunate that a meeting of national importance fell into blame. "
The Ministry of Health says that vaccination rates in Israel are among the highest in the world, despite the current measles epidemic. On average, about half of the haredi community population is not immune.
The Ministry of Health requires that children under the age of one year be vaccinated against measles and other communicable diseases. However, parents, for reasons of negligence, do not respect the law.
About 500 to 600 children from four schools were not vaccinated in Pardess Hanna in Haifa district, according to a report released Sunday at Israel Hayom. The Ministry of Health did not follow up with the communities to tackle the problem until last November, even though the measles epidemic had been raging for several months.
The Ministry of Health has since shown its inability to contain the epidemic in the communities affected by Israel, and at present, 2,000 cases of Israelis who have contracted measles in recent months, said Israel Hayom.
The Ministry of Health has not organized any information seminars to encourage these parents to vaccinate their children, and even though the Ministry of Health is offering to pay for these services, the parents still refuse them. Israel Hayom.
"It is truly tragic that for years the Ministry of Health has done little to inform parents of these schools, who refuse to vaccinate their children and are not aware of public awareness and the encouragement of vaccination, "said a senior official of the Ministry of Health. Israel Hayom. "In the center of the country, where a serious measles problem has already been discovered, the Ministry of Health has done nothing substantial to effectively control the area for years, it seems."
However, the Ministry of Health says that vaccination rates in Israel are among the highest in the world, despite the current measles epidemic.
"Israel HayomThe health commentator chooses to interpret the reality regardless of the data, and Israel's vaccination rates are the highest in the world, thanks to the long-standing activities of the Ministry, "said the Ministry of Health in response to data published by Israel Hayom. "Questioning the irrelevant motivations of the commentator, and the latest outbreak was the result of outbreaks abroad and populations not registered with the Ministry of the Interior. The health system does not have access to it. Nevertheless, the ministry has taken unprecedented action and increased the vaccination rate. We are proud of the team and the department for their impressive recruitment. "
On average, about half of the children in these communities are not vaccinated because of their parents' wishes. The Ministry of Health requires that children under the age of one year be vaccinated against measles and other communicable diseases. However, for religious reasons, parents do not respect this law. School principals also have no formal authority to enforce health safety in and around schoolyards.
As the epidemic continues to grow, the Ministry of Health will be forced to modify its strategy for these communities in the near future – by involving and administering more successful, informative and persuasive campaigns without ignoring the affected communities.
Relics to some synagogues in Israel, as well as many recent cases in New York, have surfaced.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot declared a public health emergency last week, warning that all unvaccinated people in Brooklyn would now be required to receive the vaccine. measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) or to be subject to strict penalties. The emergency situation has been declared due to an epidemic of the disease among ultra-Orthodox Jews living in the area.
The New York Department of Health and Mental Health will check the vaccination records of anyone who may have been exposed to infected patients. Anyone who has not been vaccinated or who shows proof of immunity may be subject to a violation and fined $ 1,000.
The order also prohibits unvaccinated students from going to school or daycare. Any school or daycare facility allowing unvaccinated students to attend school could be punishable by offenses punishable by a fine of $ 1,000 per offense, or even a closure.
At a press conference last week, de Blasio pointed out that it was urgent to take action before the Passover holidays because many people would move and gather during the Passover holidays, this which could greatly increase the risk that epidemics will grow a lot, a lot. worst.
"It's a disease that can spread in hours," Blasio said. "It can be fatal."
The measles vaccine will be given to all those who need it in New York vaccination centers, even those who can not afford it.
285 people have been infected since the beginning of the epidemic in the Orthodox Jewish community of New York since last October.
Jewish community leaders worked with the New York City government to try to curb the epidemic, but New York's yeshivas violated orders from the health department to bar students from entering infected several times since the beginning of the epidemic.
Most cases of measles outbreaks have been reported in Borough Park and Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Large outbreaks of measles have been reported around the world, including a major epidemic in Israel.
There have been reports of "measles parties" in which children are brought to an infected person to become infected. Dr. Herminia Palacio, deputy mayor of health and social services in New York, pointed out at the press conference that this practice was extremely dangerous and should be avoided. At the press conference, officials also pointed out that the vaccine is 97% effective and that its safety has been proven.
An air hostess from El Al was hospitalized in a serious condition last week after catching measles on a flight connecting the John F. Kennedy Airport from New York to the US. Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv, according to the same source. Israel weather.
No deaths were reported during the outbreak in New York, but some patients ended up in intensive care with serious complications.
The rumor has its roots in Andrew Wakefield, a former British doctor whose 1998 research paper, now debunked, linked the MMR vaccine to developmental disability. His papers have since been withdrawn and retracted and his medical license revoked.
Tzvi Joffre and Gil Hoffman contributed to this report.
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