Health Ministry warns Bnei Brak and Safed residents of measles exposure - The Jerusalem Post - Israel News

Vaccine syringe. (photo credit: INGIMAGE)

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Israel's Health Ministry warned residents of the cities of Safed and Bnei Brak of a possible exposure to measles Monday.

Travelers on a city bus in the northern city of Safed were potentially exposed to the dangerous and highly contagious virus, according to a Ministry of Health statement.

Any unvaccinated passengers who rode bus line 7 between 10:30 and 11:00 a.m on Sunday, and bus line 11 at 8:40 a.m. on Monday are recommended to the nearest health offices to receive the appropriate vaccination.

In a separate incident, the Health Ministry offices in Tel Aviv received a report Monday that a resident of Benei Brak had contracted the disease and visited several locations throughout the city.

While sick, the individual had visited different wards in the Ma'ayane Yeshua hospital, synagogues and attended two weddings.

The measles epidemic has occupied health officials in the last months after an 18-month-old toddler died in Jerusalem on November 1. On Dec. 19, an 82-year-old woman in the capital became the second fatality from the outbreak.

The child’s death was the first recorded death from measles in Israel in 15 years. The baby, reportedly not vaccinated, was brought to the hospital without a pulse.

According to the Health Ministry, there were 948 measles cases in October, and 893 cases in November. As of last Wednesday, there have been 194 cases this month.

Despite the declining trend, the ministry is continuing to promote vaccinations and hopes to halt the spread completely.

The bulk of measles cases have been in the Jerusalem area. The Health Ministry said earlier this year that 90% of the cases in Israel were either people who had not been vaccinated, or who came into contact with unvaccinated people.

Measles can have lasting effects such as hearing loss, and is fatal for one in 1,000 children who catch it.

The MMR vaccine is 97% effective in preventing infection with the measles virus when the recommended two doses are received on time, according to the Health Ministry.

Uri Bollag contibuted to this report.

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