The Ministry of Health is concerned about the rate of increase in influenza morbidity this season and is calling on the general public from the age of 6 months and up to get vaccinated against the virus. The announcement comes after the tragic death of the late 6-and-a-half-year-old Yosef Naim from Netivot, who apparently died as a result of complications from the virus.
According to data from the National Center for Disease Control, as of last week, 565 hospitalized patients have been reported since the beginning of the season, of whom 239 are hospitalized in pediatric wards and 39 pregnant and maternity women.
Most patients have been infected with the flu-type virus A Identified in the Central Virus Laboratory as a subtype A/H3, Included in the vaccine against the flu given this season in Israel.
In recent weeks, local outbreaks of influenza virus-type illness have also been identified A In various community centers around the country. The disease has been reported in children, adolescents, and young adults.
The flu virus is known to cause serious illness, such as pneumonia, other respiratory complications, myocarditis and even death.
The Ministry of Health emphasizes the importance of getting vaccinated against the flu these days. “The Ministry of Health calls on the general public from the age of 6 months and up to be vaccinated against influenza,” it was reported. “You can get the flu vaccine together with the corona vaccine or at any time interval from it.”
The call from the Ministry of Health comes even after the tragic death yesterday of the late 6-and-a-half-year-old boy Yosef Naim from Netivot, who did not wake up from his sleep tests the next day. Shortly after the incident – the boy’s four sisters also began to show similar symptoms – and were also evacuated to the hospital.