In Israel, USA, Canada and Singapore: high incidence of measles

The number of victims of the current measles outbreak in Israel continues to increase. A six-year-old girl died on Sunday night The Buharim neighborhood in Jerusalemwho did not wake up from her sleep after several days of illness. The girl, who was not vaccinated against measles, was referred to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, but all resuscitation attempts failed. She is now the 16th victim of the disease, which has been raging in Israel for almost a year.

dictation Originally published on the Davidson Institute for Science Education website

Of the 15 previous victims of the plague, only one was vaccinated with one of the two doses used according to the existing procedures, and all the rest were never vaccinated. As of the latest update, published on February 18, 2026, the Ministry of Health knows of 3,055 measles patients in Israel since the beginning of the outbreak in April last year.

However, the true number of patients is likely to be much higher. 1,041 of the diagnosed patients have needed hospitalization so far, that is, more than a third of the cases known to the authorities. That’s a huge rate. The number of dead is also unusually high for countries with an advanced medical system, and even relative to less developed countries that experience measles outbreaks. Therefore, it is estimated that there is a significant under-reporting in Israel and that the real number of patients may reach 16 thousand.

Two doses of measles vaccine give the vaccinated almost complete protection from the disease. Most children in Israel receive the first dose of the vaccine at the age of one and another dose in first grade. For families living in or visiting the outbreak areas, the Ministry of Health recommends adding to these two doses an additional preliminary vaccine dose for babies starting at six months of age. It is also recommended that they get the second dose of the vaccine ahead of time, at least three months after receiving the first dose, and not wait until the age of 6.

Some of the reports from the local health authorities also include cases that have not yet been verified in the laboratory, and some include patients from 2025. Therefore, the total number of patients calculated in all states together exceeds the total number published by the CDC.

in Canadawhich led the North American outbreak in 2025, 192 new measles patients have already been counted for 2026. The list of provinces infected this year is led by Manitoba, with 116 patients, followed by Alberta with 52 confirmed. Almost all patients are not vaccinated, and only a few of them received two doses of vaccine.