Thomas is an eight-year-old Italian boy who has just overcome a myeloid water leukemia. Last year he fell ill, and after undergoing chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, this little boy and his family want to start recovering his life.
The child is eager to return to school and reunite with his friends, but it is likely that he will have to change schools, since in his there are several unvaccinated children. After his illness, Thomas has no defenses and surrounding yourself with unvaccinated peers could put your life at risk. A sad story that shows us, once again, the importance of vaccinating our children: for themselves and for those around them.
Just got over a leukemia
In 2017, Thomas's parents went to his pediatrician's office worried because his son had had a high fever for several days. The medical examination and blood tests confirmed the worst diagnosis: the little boy suffered from a water mildeo leukemia, one of the most frequent cancers in childhood.
Thomas had to receive chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant, thanks to his sister's compatibility, two years older than him. It has been a very hard year for this child and his family, and although He still does not have the approval of his oncologists to start going to school, it is a matter of time that I can return to the classroom.
But you must change schools because of the anti-vaccine
Thomas is recovering very well from the disease, but chemotherapy and transplantation have left him without defenses, so it is vital take precautions to avoid any type of infection.
And at this point it is where his family has encountered the main problem, because they know that in his son's class there are five unvaccinated children, and in the next class another three, a situation that can put his life at risk.Thomas's parents have talked to several pediatricians about the issue, and everyone has advised them find a school where children in your class are properly vaccinated, since the protection offered by group immunity is essential in your case.
"When a colleague told me about this little boy's case, I thought that this was not typical of a civilized country. There are people who believe that vaccines are harmful, but for children like Thomas who have received chemotherapy, the vaccines put their lives at risk. Now the child will have to look for a class of vaccinated students, probably several kilometers away from his home "- says Dr. Oriana Maschio, to Corriere della Sera.
"The children of the anti-vaccines are a serious problem for our cancer patients, since they lack defenses due to chemotherapy and transplantation. Simply coming into contact with the common influenza virus (influenza) already poses a serious risk to him. The same happens if you attend a class where the presence of unvaccinated classmates compromises group immunity "- said Giuseppe Basso, director of a Pediatric Oncology Clinic.
Thomas is looking forward to regaining his childhood; of playing with his friends in the schoolyard and meeting his classmates in the classroom. At the moment you must wait a few weeks to receive the medical discharge, time that your parents will use to find a solution.
The importance of group immunity
It is not difficult to put yourself in the place of these parents and feel anger and helplessness. After all that they have lived and suffered, it is likely that they now have to find another school for their child, perhaps several kilometers away from their home (with the implications that this has), and all because of the irresponsibility of some parents of his companions
People live in society, so it is very important to be aware of the risk of not voluntarily vaccinating our children, both for themselves and for the rest.The risk of not vaccinating is faced by both the unvaccinated children themselves (now and in their future) and the rest of the people around them, and for various reasons they are more vulnerable and require the protection of all: immunosuppressed or sick children who cannot be vaccinated, the elderly, babies who have not yet received all their vaccinations, pregnant women ...
And it is precisely group immunity which helps these people not to get diseases which could be avoided if others were properly vaccinated. That is why it is so important to be jointly responsible, and read verified, scientific and truthful information about vaccines.
WHO considers vaccination coverage above 95 percent adequate or effective, so that Vaccines constitute a serious problem, as they lower the rate of vaccination coverage in their country, breaking the group immunity.
Drastic measures against non-vaccination
Given the serious problems of non-vaccination, there are several countries that have joined the obligatory nature of vaccines, imposing fines to parents, withdrawal of tax benefits or even prohibiting the entry to daycare centers and schools to children who do not have mandatory vaccinations.
The last country to study this measure (pending approval) has been Holland, which would come to join other countries such as Australia and France, where vaccination is mandatory to access schools.
Italy is another European country that is considering imposing mandatory vaccination against 12 diseases to access schools. But this obligation would only affect children between zero and six years old, so it would not apply in the case of Thomas.
According to data of the Advisory Committee of Vaccines of the AEP, in our country the vaccination coverage is excellent, especially in primary vaccination, standing above 97 percent. Therefore, experts do not believe it is necessary to impose mandatory, and they are committed to keeping families aware of the benefits of vaccines, and the importance of vaccinating their children.
Photos | iStock
