As reported in JPost, the Health Ministry in Israel is starting to fight against the anti-vaxxers movement.

The Health Ministry announced it will take legal action against two doctors for advising thousands of patients against vaccines. If convicted of this serious negligence, these doctors could have their medical licences revoked.

I am happy they are finally starting to deal with the issue. I do not know the right course of action. While I fear this will not help much as anti-vaxxers will see this as proof of their "big pharma" conspiracy to silence doctors who are against vaccines and doctors who "speak the truth", I do not know what the best solution is. But at least they are doing something now.

Also even if anti-vaxxers see this as part of the big conspiracy, at least two doctors promoting the agenda and advising patients will now, if convicted, will now not be able to push people in that direction.

Happy something is finally being done, and hopefully it is just the start of a broader campaign.

According to Ynet, the Health Ministry published a table of the countrywide measles outbreak.

It might be a surprise to you, but the leading cities on the list are all haredi cities, or cities with substantial Haredi populations. Only one in the top ten is a secular city with no significant Haredi population.

The city at the top of the board is Jerusalem with 1403 diagnosed cases of measles, followed by Bet Shemesh with 430. This is followed by cities such as Tzfat, Beitar, Bnei Braq and others. The secular city in the list is Tel Aviv, taking 8th place with 109 cases.



These numbers are absolute - the number of cases diagnosed. I would like to see the ratings per capita and see which city places where. Tel Aviv might drop off the list entirely, while Bet Shemesh, Beitar or Tzfat might jump out in front.

With Bet Shemesh normally coming in at the tail end of various statistics, this is not the one we finally want to be leading in.

And, again, I hope the Minister of Health, outgoing and whoever the incoming will be (likely the same but not definitely), is putting together a plan to combat this outbreak. We've heard nary a word about it until now from the Deputy Minister of Health. I think that needs to change.

A father of a newborn baby in the hospital of Maayanei Hayeshua in Bnei Braq insisted on visiting his new baby in the nursery. Sounds wonderful. A devoted father.

Well, he kept it a secret at the time that he had measles. He was already sick but did not tell the nurses that he was.

This wonderful doting father exposed over 80 newborns, preemies and full-term babies,  including his own, to measles.

When it was discovered, the hospital administration decided to vaccinate the 24 preemies in the ward and the 60 full-term babies.
source: Israel Hayom

If a person wants to be an idiot about himself and not vaccinate himself and his family, and stick to himself, that's one thing, as bad as it is. To go out of your way to expose other people - babies, with no immunity? That is criminal. This person should be arrested.

At least it happened in Maayanei Hayeshua, where the promise and bracha of the Chazon Ish is present that no tragedy and death will occur there. Perhaps that extra protection is what made this person figure he can walk in with such a disease.

The changing of the guard in Bet Shemesh (and most other cities) just happened on Tuesday of this week, with outgoing mayor Moshe Abutbol handing over the reins of the city to incoming mayor Aliza Bloch.

When Aliza Bloch took the keys of City Hall, it turns out she took more than just the keys. At the time, there was a baby infected with measles in an adjacent room. The Health Ministry is calling upon everyone present at the ceremony on Tuesday to get their vaccination against measles boosted. Mayor Bloch is going on Sunday to get herself vaccinated again, and everyone else present - guests and journalists alike - need to go get themselves vaccinated as soon as possible.
source: Ynet and Haskupim Twitter

STOP SPREADING MEASLES!!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?

If you dont want to vaccinate your kids, at least dont take them out in public and put everyone else at risk. Someone caused this baby to be infected, and then it spreads further.