Rabbi’s Strong Message on Vaccination Amid Measles Epidemic

With the ongoing measles outbreak affecting Jerusalem and surrounding areas, Rabbi David Yosef, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel and Rishon LeZion, made a striking statement: “Parents who don’t vaccinate their children—I cannot consider them Torah-observant. If, heaven forbid, something happens to their child, they will have to live with the guilt for the rest of their lives because they are responsible for their child’s fate. This is a serious matter.”

He criticized those who use religious reasoning to argue against vaccinations, stating, “Anyone who claims it is against religion or the Torah to vaccinate is not only misapplying the Torah but is outright lying! This is the opposite of what the truth is. The holy Torah instructs us to heed medical advice; if doctors recommend vaccination, it must be done.”

Recalling his support for vaccination efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rabbi Yosef mentioned that he even chose to get vaccinated publicly to encourage others. “Thank God, today no one questions that isolation and vaccination guidelines saved lives,” he remarked, referencing past epidemics, including one in Turkey, where strict isolation protocols were essential.

Part of his address focused on “popular rabbis” who discourage people from seeking proper medical care. He shared a concerning anecdote from years ago in Beit Shemesh, involving a child with leg cancer who was denied treatment because a respected rabbi had assured the child would heal without it. Rabbi Yosef expressed his outrage, saying, “I went to Beit Shemesh and told him he was responsible for putting lives at risk. Who gave him the right to block a Jewish child from receiving life-saving treatment? I instructed him to contact the parents and the medical team to take the child to the hospital.” Thankfully, that child received treatment and is now living a full life with a family of his own.

He also cautioned against relying solely on natural medicine instead of conventional treatments. “It’s fine to explore natural remedies and alternative therapies like acupuncture, but these should never be seen as a substitute for conventional medicine! Heaven forbid!”

Rabbi Yosef then recounted a personal loss: “I had a friend who died because he depended exclusively on natural medicine. I tried to convince him to go to the hospital, but he wouldn’t listen. Eventually, I managed to persuade him, but by that time, it was too late.”