11-Month-Old Charedi Baby Faces Amputation After Severe Measles Complications

An 11-month-old infant from Beitar Illit, hospitalized at Hadassah Medical Center after contracting measles, is scheduled for surgery to amputate all four limbs due to necrosis, according to a Tuesday report in Israel Hayom.

The news outlet reported that the baby was first admitted to Shaare Tzedek Medical Center after suffering infectious shock as a secondary complication of measles. He was later transferred to Hadassah and connected to a machine that performs the functions of the heart and lungs. Doctors have now diagnosed necrosis in all four limbs, some in an advanced stage, caused by a disrupted blood supply.

Beyond the fatalities that have already been reported, there are children and infants suffering severe complications from measles, including extreme physiological, neurological, and respiratory damage.

Dr. Dror Ovadia, an orthopedic specialist and director of the pediatric orthopedics department at Dana-Dweck Children’s Hospital, told Israel Hayom: “From a review of the medical documents, this is a baby who developed sepsis, and one of the results of this is that embolisms are formed that reach small blood vessels, block them and cause necrosis. This is a shocking situation. There is a high probability that he will have to have his limbs amputated, and all this because he was not vaccinated.”

He added, “The measles caused a blood infection. This is a severe and rare complication, but a known complication for any infectious disease and measles. It is important that parents are aware of this complication. The fact that so many babies have died due to sepsis and respiratory complications is terrible and terrifying. A disease that if you get vaccinated against, all of this is prevented.”

Since the vaccination campaign began in May 2025, six infants in the Charedi sector have died from measles-related complications, all of whom were healthy with no underlying conditions.

Health authorities emphasize that babies aged six to eleven months can now receive the measles vaccine without an appointment, highlighting the critical importance of timely immunization to prevent severe and potentially fatal outcomes.