Three-year-old dies after suspected meningococcal infection in Tel Aviv hospital

A 3-year-old boy died Saturday morning after arriving at Dana Children’s Hospital in the Ichilov Medical Center with septic shock, where doctors suspected meningococcemia, a severe meningococcal infection. He was brought to the emergency department in the morning and was published as having died at 12:30 on June 13, 2026.

Medical staff immediately began resuscitation efforts and tried to stabilize the toddler, but his condition did not improve and doctors were forced to pronounce him dead. The hospital said there was a clinical suspicion of meningococcemia when he arrived.

Following the death, the hospital urged the public to vaccinate children. It said there is a vaccine against meningococcal B, which is recommended by the Israeli Pediatric Association.

The medical team said, “We call on the public to vaccinate infants and toddlers and save lives.”