Israel faces early flu surge; Health Ministry urges vaccinations
Baku, December 8, AZERTAC
Israel is facing an early and severe flu season, prompting the Ministry of Health to urge the entire population to get vaccinated and for those who are sick to stay home, according to TPS-IL. Experts say the number of cases is rising sharply, with serious complications already reported among children and the elderly.
“Based on monitoring of global data, a season with serious infection is to be expected,” the Health Ministry said. “The rise in morbidity is steep, and serious complications in children have already been reported, including three deaths over the past two weeks.”
During a meeting of the Ministry’s Team of Experts for the Treatment of Epidemics (TCM) on Sunday night, which included representatives from hospitals, the community, and academia, officials presented the latest data on influenza trends in Israel and abroad. The discussion highlighted that the season began earlier than usual this year and is already affecting all age groups, particularly children.
The ministry reported that as of the last week of November, 1,165 people had been hospitalized with the flu, and 26 had died within 30 days of laboratory confirmation of infection. Most of the fatalities, 23 in total, were among people aged 65 and older, with 12 aged 85 and above. The recent deaths of two six-year-olds and a 10-year-old girl have drawn particular attention.
The family of Ariel Hakakian, one of the six-year-old children who died, donated his organs to four people in need. Despite being vaccinated, doctors at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center were unable to save him.
“This year, the flu came a few weeks early while the pace of vaccination has not changed, which means there are more unvaccinated people at a time when the spread of the disease has started to rise,” said Prof. Lital Keinan-Boker, director of the Israel Center for Disease Control. She added that although the increase in cases is significant, “it’s not something we haven’t seen in the past.”
The TCM emphasized that the flu vaccine, while not entirely preventing infection, is highly effective in reducing the severity of the illness and the risk of hospitalization and death. The Ministry of Health confirmed that the vaccine is safe, recommended for everyone aged six months and older, and is available free of charge through health insurance providers.
Doctors at the meeting urged anyone with symptoms to remain at home until fully recovered and stressed that children should not attend schools or daycare while ill to avoid spreading the virus. “It’s critical to protect others, especially the youngest and most vulnerable,” the ministry said.
In recent weeks, at least 30 children have been hospitalized in intensive care units due to complications from the flu, including two infants admitted in critical condition in Jerusalem and another in Haifa requiring advanced life support. Authorities warn that the peak of the season has not yet arrived, and they remain concerned about low vaccination rates, particularly among at-risk groups. Less than half of adults over 65 and fewer than 10 percent of children have been vaccinated so far.
The Ministry of Health said it will continue to explore ways to increase vaccination coverage and monitor the outbreak closely. “Vaccination remains the most effective protection for the public,” the ministry stated, urging all residents to receive the flu shot and take precautions to reduce transmission.
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