Health Ministry to mull sanctions on anti-vaxxer families

Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman warned Thursday that he will consider taking measures against families who refuse to vaccinate their children, after a recent outbreak of measles that he said primarily afflicted those who refuse to use the preventative treatment.

Litzman spoke as he received an annual flu vaccine at the Hamashtela elementary school in Tel Aviv, Hadashot TV news reported.

The warning came as health officials have pointed to a marked increase in measles cases throughout the country. In the past two weeks the Health Ministry contacted hundreds of families whose children passed through emergency rooms in hospitals where cases of measles were discovered, as well as passengers on at least two flights where an infected person had boarded the plane.

“We will consider revoking the rights of families in which the parents refuse to vaccinate their children,” Litzman said, without giving further details.

“We are seeing a light outbreak of measles,” he continued. “And it is primarily among families and people who did not get vaccinated at the time, and so the debate is important.”

Litzman said his ministry will decide on a position ahead of a meeting on the subject next week. He is the most senior figure at the ministry, which does not have a minister.

“Vaccinations are a foundation to preventing dangerous infectious diseases and of public health,” he added. “They have a decisive contribution to the health of children and the general population.”

Litzman said he came to be vaccinated against the flu as he does every year and called on the public to also use vaccinations.

“I advise to continue vaccinating, in particular in years when there is an outbreak of measles,” he said.

Since the beginning of the year over 620 Israelis have fallen ill with measles, according to Health Ministry figures, up from 34 a year before, an almost 2,000 percent rise.

At least 19 people contracted the illness in the first 10 days of October.