With the continued spread of mumps in chareidi areas, primarily in Yerushalayim and Bnei Brak, the Ministry of Health has decided to take measures, to send vaccines to mosdos making such a request. This will permit talmidim to receive vaccines against mumps without even having to visit a clinic or HMO. The ministry this week sent teams to a number of yeshivas, where talmidim were vaccinated.

Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman convened an urgent meeting on Tuesday in light of the situation, at which time the decision was made to send vaccination teams to yeshivas requesting the service in the hope of curtailing the spread of the illness.

The first wave of vaccinations are intended for people over 22 who never received a vaccine, and then those “who were not properly vaccinated” (no explanation given). Health officials admit it appears the illness have increased in intensity since many who have been stricken have indeed been properly vaccinated as children.

To date, 1,581 cases have been diagnosed in Israel, with the majority being among bnei yeshivos between the ages of 15-25.

It would appear with millions of doses of H1N1 vaccines sitting in ministry warehouses, the national health agenda is shifting focus to mumps.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)