Ministry: Lack of Personnel Endangers School Measles Inoculations

The Health Ministry is considering halting its program of inoculating school students against the measles because of a lack of manpower, a report in Yediot Acharonot said. The Ministry is reportedly debating whether to just limit the program or cancel it altogether. The latter possibility is being considered because the ministry cannot decide on criteria for which children should receive the shots.

Schools began administering measles inoculations two years ago, on the order of Deputy Health Minister Rabbi Yaakov Litzman. The inoculations were administered by nurses, with the shots given for the first two months of the school year. The program has been considered a success, as the number of inoculated students rose 11%, increasing compliance with rules on inoculation.

However, medical officials said that they were too busy with other tasks to continue administering the program, the report said. In a letter, the director of public health in the Health Ministry told heads of districts for the ministry that “because of the large amount of work in inoculating students, and the lack of personnel, it has been decided not to expand the program this year.” If the situation does not improve the report said, the ministry was likely to stop the program altogether.