Israel’s Health Ministry issued an urgent warning amid a sharp surge in influenza cases, recommending that at-risk individuals, medical staff, and visitors to nursing homes and geriatric facilities wear protective face masks as flu-related illness and deaths climb rapidly.

According to the ministry, 513 new cases of influenza A and one case of influenza B were recorded as of December 7, based on reports from 14 hospitals. Health officials say the spike has accelerated over the past several weeks and is arriving earlier and more aggressively than in a typical flu season.

Four children have died from influenza in the past three weeks, matching the total number of pediatric flu deaths recorded during the entire previous flu season. Three of the children who died were unvaccinated and had no underlying medical conditions, while one had a preexisting condition, the ministry said.

The ministry is now strongly urging the public — particularly people aged 65 and older and those with chronic illnesses — to receive the flu vaccine without delay, warning that low vaccination rates are leaving vulnerable populations exposed as transmission intensifies.

Despite a recent uptick in vaccinations, only about one in six Israelis is currently vaccinated against influenza, according to official data. More than 1.5 million people have received the flu shot in recent weeks, accounting for 15.7 percent of the population.

Among seniors, 50.1 percent of Israelis aged 65 and over have been vaccinated so far, a decline from the 55 percent vaccination rate recorded during the 2023–2022 winter season, a gap health officials say is concerning given the severity of the current outbreak.

The ministry said the current flu wave mirrors a troubling global trend. International health authorities have reported higher-than-average influenza morbidity worldwide, with outbreaks beginning earlier than usual. The surge has been linked to a new sub-variant of influenza A, A(H3N2), K sub-variant, which officials say may be driving increased transmission and illness.

Health officials warned that without higher vaccination uptake and basic protective measures, including mask use in high-risk settings, the outbreak could worsen in the coming weeks, placing additional strain on hospitals and endangering vulnerable populations.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)