Israel’s Health Ministry reported Friday that a nine-year-old boy who had not been vaccinated died after contracting measles, as officials continue to warn the public amid an ongoing outbreak.

According to the ministry, the child was admitted to the hospital in critical condition and was later pronounced dead despite resuscitation efforts.

Since the start of the current outbreak, 14 people have died from measles. Most of the fatalities have involved unvaccinated infants who were previously healthy and had no underlying medical conditions.

The Health Ministry emphasized that measles is a preventable illness and stressed the importance of immunization. Officials stated that the measles vaccine is both safe and effective and that it saves lives.

Under routine guidelines, all children are advised to receive the first dose of the measles vaccine at age one and a second dose at age six as part of the standard immunization schedule.

In areas experiencing outbreaks, the ministry recommends administering the second dose earlier, at age one and a half.

In addition, health officials advise giving an extra vaccine dose to infants between the ages of six and eleven months in outbreak zones and for those traveling to locations where measles cases are rising.

The ministry also urged individuals who are not vaccinated, as well as parents of infants who received a single dose between six and eleven months of age, to avoid large public gatherings in outbreak areas due to the heightened risk of infection.