Lucía Jimeno is 11 years old and in a few minutes she goes from resignation to the vaccine that they are going to put in the hospital in Santa Bárbara de Soria to joy because her mother has recorded a TikTok while she received the puncture. “It hurt a little,” says the girl, who admits a certain “posture” to show that she is one of the 5,233 Sorians between the ages of five and 11 who begin to be immunized this Wednesday. This province, under a serious demographic risk, only has that number of children of that age among its 89,500 inhabitants. These data suppose a multitude of problems of benefits and terrible omens but, finally, a benefit: there will be no problems for this population to receive one of the 6,000 units that the Ministry of Health has sent to each province.
The rest of the territories have demanded more units while the kids and their families queue in front of the Soria health center. The first one who was waiting her turn is called Aitana Romera, who after the puncture celebrated that they have given her a toy and that it “does not hurt.” Shortly before, he frantically flapped the health card in his hands and spoke in broken words.
It is an astonishing 15 degrees in the city, from which you can see the white peaks of the Urbión massif, and the children in line begin to take off their coats. Soon they also get rid of the “miedillo” that Leyre Díaz admits, also with 11 years, like all those mentioned in the Santa Bárbara. This red-haired girl explains that the objective is to protect herself and her grandmother against Christmas and admits that at her school everyone exploded with joy when they learned that they would be vaccinated soon. Although this Wednesday there was less merriment and “more respect.” After a while, he realizes that it was not so bad and that the plaster on his arm covers a very soft “nibble”. His mother took the opportunity to take the little one of the house, Gerard, nine years old, to see if they would let him do “two for one”. Any luck.
The Soria toilets had prepared the rooms with balloons, Santa hats, garlands and, to top it off, some wore Christmas sweaters. Everything to scare ghosts. Victoria Álvarez, director of nursing in Primary Care and responsible for vaccination, highlights that “everything is organized” and that the demographic problem of her land for once is something positive to speed up childhood immunization. The more doses that have arrived will be derived to reinforce guidelines or to second infant punctures. The National Institute of Statistics collects that more than half of the people born in Soria live abroad and that there are regions with a population density of less than three inhabitants per square kilometer. The European Union numbers the border at minus nine to consider a territory as at demographic risk.
The waiting shift in front of the hospital reveals that there is a high percentage of children from immigrant families, key to raising the birth rate in these places. Cristian Mayorga, with Bolivian and Ecuadorian blood, goes to the doors wanting to remove the stigma and that once and for all, the elders will stop telling him that he is the only one not yet immunized. Nairobi Feliz, mother of Jonhan Pérez and his brother Braidel, who is nine, has thought like the Díaz and has taken the little one to win a couple of days compared to his real call. He also receives the dose and relieves his mother: “This is how they put it together … And if there is a reaction, they also pass it on at the same time!”
The city of Soria (39,000 inhabitants) started with 11-year-olds, while El Burgo de Osma (4,900) started with 7-year-olds. At first glance, few adverse effects are seen in a herd of kids who play soccer at the facilities of this second town. The ball flies and the minors run around without pain or anything like it. What stings the most are the cross accusations: Aarón Azhour assures that he has only shed “a tear” but that “Martín Iglesias has had a worse time.” That statement makes him show a generous smile with baby teeth after obtaining a dose for which “he did not have the slightest desire.” Diego Izquierdo affirms that he does not feel any discomfort and that nothing has prevented him from rolling over the grass. His mother celebrates the anniversary: ”We are all safer now.” The happiness radiated by Marta de Miguel, a “tough” defense according to her coach ”, is noticeable when she talks about her idols: Cristiano Ronaldo and Alexia Putelles, a brand new women’s Ballon d’Or. “I’ve been very calm,” says the young Soriana, who counts among her feats having visited the field where the Football Club Barcelona player trained years ago. Miguel has already removed the band-aid and will now be more concerned about the numbers of rival footballers than about the 19 coronavirus.
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