A British tourist in Israel sparked a health scare after being diagnosed with measles. The man, in his early 20s and from the Satmar community in London, arrived in Yerushalayim for a Chasunah. Although feeling unwell, he attended the simcha along with 2,000 others. He was diagnosed four days later.
According to the Ministry of Health in Israel, two further cases of measles have since been reported — both involving tourists from Britain.
Parents are being urged to get their children vaccinated following an outbreak 11 suspected cases of measles this month and all are centred around the Higher Broughton area.
The infection first came to light after three London children contracted measles after a visit to the area and there are fears, left unchecked, the problem could develop into an localised epidemic.
Health workers are concerned the disease is spreading quickly through the area because many members of the Orthodox Jewish community have not had their children vaccinated with the MMR jab which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
Ruth Philp, nurse consultant in health protection, said: “The Jewish community historically doesn’t have a high level of uptake. It’s hard to say why that is. Sometimes it’s just historical factors but also the fact that the Orthodox community is quite a closed community.
Rabbi Yehunda Brodie, at Manchester Beth Din, does not believe it is a deliberate decision by Jewish parents not to have vaccinations.
He said: “There is no religious reason why a person who is an Orthodox Jew should not have the immunisation. On the contrary protection from disease is a religious duty.
“A lot of Jewish people are sheltered from the media, many homes do not have a TV or radio and people may not necessarily read the general press. It may well be that a more carefully targeted manner of encouraging people to take up vaccinations maybe more appropriate for that community.”
These are at Higher Broughton Clinic on Tuesday, August 28, from 3pm until 5.30pm and at the Agunda Centre, in Northumberland Street, on the same day from 9.30am to 5pm.
(Sources: The JC & Salford Advertiser)
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3 Responses
Ushmartem me’od lenafshoseichem.
Lo sa’amod al dam re’echa.
Please vaccinate. There are people in your community who are immuno-suppressed for various reasons, and are therefore much more susceptible to disease. If these people, Ch”V, contract these diseases, it is much, much more difficult for them to recover properly. They are in greater sakkanah than the rest of the population.
Never vaccinate a child though when he has a cold or is not well! The risks ther are dangerous as well!
Also, don’t vaccinate 18 shots at once – space it out as much as you can and, as nameless said, only when the baby is in perfect health so s/he can deal with the toxins in the vaccine.
As far as I know, some vaccines STILL use thimerosal, the mercury perservative, but it’s a supposedly insignificant amount. Easy for them to say. Most, however, do not use this mercury anymore, again, as far as I am aware.