Two young children were hospitalized on Tuesday night in serious condition, after testing positive for the H1N1 virus that is more commonly known as swine flu.

The two were hospitalized at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, and one of them, a one-and-a-half year old infant with no background illnesses, was even put on artificial respiration and put to sleep with anesthetics.

Earlier on Tuesday another young child who was recently hospitalized at the same hospital in serious condition with swine flu was released home, after his condition improved.

Sheba Medical Center reports that all three children had not been given the flu vaccine.

The cases come as part of an outbreak of swine flu in Israel, which late last month saw a woman in her 50s who suffered additional background illnesses die of the disease.

Children, the elderly, pregnant women, and those suffering from background illnesses have all been more highly susceptible to the flu.

A two-year-old boy was hospitalized in serious condition late last month at Rambam Hospital in Haifa. Doctors there noted that he too had background illnesses.

Due to the outbreak of H1N1 virus, flu vaccine stocks at medical clinics nationwide have been nearly depleted since two weeks ago, as many citizens hurried to follow the suggestions of the Health Ministry to get the vaccine, which also is effective against swine flu. Some clinics are completely out of the vaccine, while others still have it in stock.