A 7-year-old resident of the Kirya area of Beit Shemesh is in Jerusalem’s Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital on Tuesday night (January 17th), diagnosed with a Group A severe streptococcal infection. Ephraim ben Rochel told his parents this morning that he does not feel well. The doctor determined he was infected with the life-threatening strep and he was rushed to Hadassah, where doctors are fighting for his life tonight.
Health officials are treating this situation aggressively, and those in contact with Ephraim from the Toras Olam Talmid Torah or elsewhere are being vaccinated, including neighbors.
Reuven Cohen, who holds the Beit Shemesh healthcare portfolio has contacted the Ezras Achim chessed organization and during the afternoon and evening hours, hundreds of local children and neighbors of Ephraim have already been vaccinated at the city’s 2 HaGalil Street clinic.
Anyone with questions pertaining to the virus and the situation in Beit Shemesh may call the hotline number at 02.999-0000, extension 6.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
May Hashem send a Refuah Shelaymah Mehayrah to Ephraim ben Rochel.
I’m confused, though.
Isn’t Strep a bacterial infection, not a virus?
How can a person be vaccinated against Strep?
Of course vaccinations help against certain bacteria. Why post a comment before you verify. GOOGLE IT
Hashem may be sending a message to the extremists in that town.
our 3 sons learn in this chader. We heard it is meningites and only the boys who have been a a closed room with him in the last 24 hours had to take medication. Lets continue to daven that he should have a full speedy recovery
Group A Strep is a bacteria, not a virus.
There was a vaccine in development a few years ago (I don’t know the current status).
Best way to control the spread is good handwashing.
I truly hope this child recovers and that he and parents and family are spared anyu further pain. But the Divine providence, that this occurs in Bet Shemesh, is ought to be obvious to all. Maybe now Chareidim will think twice and ponder how to cherish a child, any child, before spitting on a little girl or standing aloof from her suffering, as did most of the Chareidi world.
The Rosh Yeshiva (Horav Menachem Steiner) reports that the child is much improved with his doctors saying that it was clearly a ‘ness’. Although Ephraim ben Rochel (parents originally from US) is better, he still needs our tfilos.
#1 Anonym613 – you are correct, it is a bacterial infection, not a virus. Must have been an oversight by the author.
#3 and 6 – YOU SHOULD BE A SHAMED OF YOURSELVES!!!!!!!! Where do you get the audacity to accuse this family of backing the sikrikim! Being that they are American’s they most likely are highly against them! YOU OWE THEM AN APOLOGY UNLESS YOU CAN PROVE OTHERWISE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Furthermore, being that they are American they most likely don’t live in RBS B where the sikrikim live and cause their propaganda, so you can’t even condemn their community either! I assume you two live in America and have NO personal knowledge whatsoever of the Beit Shemesh communities and the local opinions of the various communities there. Your statements are vulgar and shameless! SHAME ON BOTH OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#8, I did not accuse the family of anything. Naavah Margolese is also an innocent child, who never harmed a chareidi person in her life. That didn’t stop someone from spitting on her. Her innocence did not compel the Chareidi world to stand with her and condemn her abuse in the strongest terms. like her, this child is also innocent. The mida k’negged mida should be obvious.