Urgent Alert from EMTs: Diphtheria Frequently Remains Untreated
The head of the pediatric emergency room at the Westbrandenburg clinic, named Bernhard Kosak, has raised concerns about the ramifications of not getting vaccinated, following a severe case of diphtheria in a 10-year-old from Brandenburg. "Numerous individuals presume that physicians can manage these ailments these days. However, that's not true in numerous circumstances," Kosak stated to the 'Märkische Allgemeine'. "That's not the case for meningococci, not for pneumococci, not for measles, mumps, rubella, not for diphtheria and tetanus. I can't treat them or only conditionally - there's a significant risk of long-term damage."
A young boy, 10, from the Havelland region in Brandenburg, was taken to the children's and youth medicine clinic in Potsdam due to tonsillar diphtheria a few days prior. As reported by media sources, the child is currently being treated at the Charité in Berlin. The unvaccinated boy, who goes to a Waldorf school in Berlin, was lacked immunization against diphtheria according to Brandenburg's Ministry of Health. Shortly after, diphtheria was identified in another family member of the boy through contact tracing carried out by the Havelland health department. Brandenburg's Ministry of Health is advocating for vaccination.
Diphtheria - Previously regarded as the "throat constrictor"
Once infamously known as the "throat constrictor," diphtheria has observed single or double-digit cases over the past few years. In 2022 and 2023, the figure exceeded triple digits, partly due to an international outbreak among refugees, as per the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
Andreas Sing, the head of the reference laboratory for diphtheria at the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority, pointed out that the number of cases has also risen because of improvements in surveillance and diagnostics.
The six-in-one vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Hib, and hepatitis B is typically a standard vaccination for infants. According to the RKI, by the time of the school entrance examination, 92 percent of children had received all recommended diphtheria vaccinations. The diphtheria vaccine is also recommended as a booster shot for adults every ten years.
The six-in-one vaccine, which includes protection against diphtheria, is usually administered to infants. Unfortunately, the unvaccinated 10-year-old boy from Brandenburg suffered from a severe case of diphtheria.
