Matteo Bassetti and Fabio Dragoni clash on live TV over diphtheria and vaccines

A heated live debate occurred on the television program ‘Agorà Estate’ between journalist Fabio Dragoni and infectious disease specialist Matteo Bassetti regarding vaccines and the recent death of a child from diphtheria in Palermo.

During the discussion, Dragoni suggested a potential link between the resurgence of certain infectious diseases in Europe and immigration, citing cases of tuberculosis in Milan, malaria in Frankfurt, and scabies. He argued that discussions regarding vaccines often lack necessary discernment between different pathologies.

Bassetti reacted strongly to these claims, accusing Dragoni of spreading false data and stating that such misinformation should not be broadcast on public television. The exchange became highly personal, with Bassetti calling the journalist ‘ignorant’ and Dragoni describing the professor as ‘rude’.