Flu continues to spread: 452 hospitalized and 19 deaths since start of monitoring period - over age 65
Ministry of Health report: 452 hospitalized and 19 deaths since the start of monitoring, all over age 65. In the past week, 91 new hospitalizations. Vaccination rate stands at only 6.6%.
A report by the National Center for Disease Control at the Ministry of Health, published on October 28, 2026, indicates the continued spread of influenza in Israel. Since the start of the monitoring period, 452 patients confirmed positive for influenza have been hospitalized, including 347 adults, 100 children, and five pregnant women. Nineteen deaths within 30 days of virus confirmation have been reported, all over age 65, but the Ministry of Health emphasizes that it is unknown whether influenza was the primary cause of death. In the past week, 91 new hospitalizations were diagnosed, including 28 children and three pregnant women. Concurrently, an increase in respiratory illness among children and adolescents has been recorded. The influenza vaccination rate stands at only 6.6% of all insured individuals, with particularly low rates among children. Prof. Hagai Levin, chairman of the Public Health Association, called for vaccination and avoiding infecting others.