These days we have been following closely the case of Olot's six-year-old child suffering from diphtheria, who is still very serious but stable in the ICU of the Vall d'Hebron Hospital in Barcelona.
The Minister of Health of the Generalitat, Boi Ruiz, has released today, after smearing 57 children close to the environment of the child who Diphtheria bacteria have been detected in eight of the child's classmates, who have not developed the disease because they are vaccinated. We put our hands to our heads again, and now that?
The eight children they are asymptomatic carriers of the bacteria. That is, the bacteria have entered their body without affecting them since they are immunized, but they can infect other children, who, if not vaccinated, would get sick. In that area, the region of La Garrotxa, there are 3 percent of children who are not immunized.
Infected children have begun to be treated with penicillin today and will remain in their homes for the duration of treatment, for eight to ten days. This would prevent the spread of the disease and may affect more unvaccinated children. That vaccinated children should be locked up so as not to infect the unvaccinated is a paradox, right?
The source of the diphtheria outbreak has not yet been found. Some of these children could have become ill first and infect the admitted child who had not received the vaccine. Or on the contrary it could have been the child who infected the others.
In our country, there are one percent of carriers of the disease that can transmit the bacteria. These can keep the bacteria for more than six months in your body, so the chain of cases could be endless if there are fewer and fewer children receiving the vaccine.
Summer camps, a problem
Of course, at the height of the year to which we are there are many things to take care of in an area where a bacterium lurks and there are unvaccinated children who live in different spaces, such as summer camps.
The Generalitat has warned that camps and children's recreational spaces in La Garrotxa require parents to obtain a vaccination card for minors. They will be attentive to "guarantee the health security" of the children, so those who are not vaccinated "will be alerted" to the risk that this may entail.
Interestingly, since the first case was detected, the doses of the vaccine supplied in Olot have skyrocketed about 20 percent. Probably from repentant parents who saw the threat very close.
And now that?
Going back to the question we asked ourselves before. What will happen now? Have any of the eight carrier children infected another unvaccinated child? Can you talk about a possible epidemic? Will we quarantine vaccinated children so they don't infect unvaccinated children?
The solution does not happen there. Yesterday was the measles outbreak, now diphtheria and possibly tomorrow we will be alarmed with another unpronounceable and forgotten disease. The only solution: mandatory vaccination. Because it is our children who are at risk.
