Health Ministry warns of possible measles infection on Uman flights to Israel

Passengers who traveled to Tel Aviv on three specific flights said to be at risk, urged to see a doctor immediately

Illustrative. Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine vials, with syringe. (iStock by Getty Images/ Andrey Popov)
Illustrative. Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine vials, with syringe. (iStock by Getty Images/ Andrey Popov)

The Health Ministry on Monday warned of a potential measles outbreak among people who returned from the annual pilgrimage to the Ukrainian city of Uman last week.

The ministry said passengers traveling to Israel on three flights on September 12 were confirmed to have the measles, and warned that passengers on those flights were at risk of contracting the disease.

The statement said passengers on Ukrainian Airways flights PS101 and 779 and KLM flight 461 should see a doctor immediately.

The ministry said children, pregnant women and those suffering from auto-immune disorders were particularly susceptible to the disease.

Last month, the Health Ministry reported a massive increase in the number of reported cases of measles in Israel this year. It said 262 reported cases of the measles had been reported since the start of 2018, compared to only nine in all of 2016, and 33 cases in 2017.

The ministry said that 90 percent of the cases were among people who had not been vaccinated or who had been in contact with people who had not been vaccinated.

Concerns about the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine surfaced in 1998 when a British study, since discredited, linked it with autism.

While the study was found to be a fraud and the autism link debunked, vaccination rates have dropped in some countries as parents prevent children receiving their shots.

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