As measles cases in Israel continue to increase, two toddlers—a one-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy—are hospitalized in serious condition at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem and have been connected to ECMO machines due to severe complications from measles.

The one-year-old girl was evacuated to the hospital over the weekend suffering from severe respiratory distress and was diagnosed with measles. Her condition rapidly deteriorated, and she was transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit, where she was connected to an ECMO machine.

The two-year-old boy was transferred last week to Hadassah from Shaare Tzedek Hospital after suffering from a secondary infectious complication—severe pneumonia caused by pneumococcal bacteria—that developed after he contracted measles. He is also now connected to an ECMO machine.

Dr. Uri Pollak, director of the pediatric intensive care units at Hadassah Hospitals, said, “Measles is a rapidly contagious viral disease, especially in closed spaces. It is a serious and dangerous disease that manifests as fever, a general feeling of unwellness, runny nose, and rash, which can lead to severe complications and life-threatening conditions.”

Dr. Pollak, along with the team of pediatricians at Hadassah, is calling on the public to vaccinate children and babies according to the Health Ministry’s vaccination program.

“It is possible to prevent severe morbidity and save lives—it is in the hands of the parents,” Dr. Pollak emphasized. “The effectiveness of the measles vaccine is proven, and it is very important to maintain a complete vaccination routine for all children in the household in order to prevent dangerous infection that could end in tragedy.”

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)