UPDATE::Eight more children infected with diphtheria - The Local

Catalonia’s regional ministry of health confirmed on Monday at lunchtime that a further eight cases have been detected among the school friends of the original child, but that they have not developed the illness.

All of the eight had been vaccinated against diphtheria. The children have been isolated and are being treated with antibiotics to prevent the onset of the illness.

The original six-year-old boy, a resident of Olot near Girona, is still being treated for diphtheria after first showing symptoms on May 25th. His condition is described by authorities as “serious but stable” where he is being treated at the Vall de Hebron hospital in Barcelona.

In other words, the DTP vaccination has done its job!!

Let me explain,,,

Diphtheria is caused by an exotoxin secreted by corynebacterium diphtheria.  If an individual who is vaccinated gets infected, the DTP vaccination gives the immune system the added memory to ward off the effects of the exotoxin.  More aptly stated, it teaches the immune system how to counter the diphtheria toxin.  But, as this incident shows, the infection still needs to be treated but not the effects of the exotoxin.  In essence the 8 children are asymptomatic carriers of sorts.

The regional health councillor, Boi Ruiz, said during a press conference that the eight new cases, all in children: “have not developed the illness thanks to their vaccinations, but they have been kept at home to avoid them spreading [the disease] to the 3% of children in the district of Garrotxa who are not vaccinated”.

“We swabbed 57 children near to the infected [child] and the bacteria is present in eight.”

So I will say again, this is a perfect example of a vaccine doing the "job" it was "designed" for.

Eight more children infected with diphtheria - The Local