Read more about diphtheria, its symptoms, and how diphtheria vaccination can help everyone stay protected from this contagious disease.
What is Diphtheria?
Diphtheria is a serious infection caused by a type of bacterium called Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It affects the mucous membranes of the nose and throat. The bacterium releases a toxin that causes a buildup of grey tissue in your throat, which makes breathing and swallowing difficult.
These are the common diphtheria symptoms:
- A thick, grey membrane covering the throat and tonsils
- Sore throat and hoarseness
- Swollen glands in the neck
- Difficulty breathing
- Nasal discharge
- Fever and chills
- Fatigue
There are two main types of diphtheria infection:
- Classical respiratory diphtheria: Also known as pharyngeal diphtheria, this is the most common type of diphtheria that affects the nose, throat, tonsils or larynx. The symptoms can vary depending on where the affected membranes are located in your body.
- Cutaneous diphtheria: Also known as cutaneous diphtheria, this is a rare type of diphtheria that causes skin rashes, sores or blisters, anywhere on the body. Cutaneous diphtheria is more common in tropical climates or crowded populations where people live in unhealthy conditions.
Diphtheria infection is a contagious disease that you can easily catch through airborne droplets that contain bacteria. This is spread by talking, sneezing, coughing, spitting and even by touching surfaces that have bacteria on it. It is also possible for an infected person to transmit the disease through an open sore touched by someone else.
Without treatment, an extremely serious cause of diphtheria can cause complications such as suffocation, due to the abnormal throat membrane that obstructs breathing. Other complications can also lead to heart damage, including congestive heart failure. kidney damage. nerve damage, and other various health problems depending on which nerves are affected.
Why is Diphtheria Vaccination Important?
Diphtheria can easily spread through airborne droplets that contain bacteria. Sneezing, coughing, spitting, and even touching surfaces are few of the ways the disease can be transmitted from one person to another. It is also possible to get the disease more than once, making vaccination necessary for diphtheria prevention.
Diphtheria was one of the leading causes of child death in Australia between 1926 and 1935. There were over 4,000 deaths and cases only fell dramatically after the introduction of vaccines in the 1940s.1
Between 2011 and 2019, there have been 38 cases of skin diphtheria, affecting both children and adults. At the same time, there were also eight cases of respiratory diphtheria, all of which were in adults. There have been only two recorded cases of unvaccinated adults who died from respiratory diphtheria. In more recent years, there were over 29 reported cases of diphtheria in North Queensland between 2020 and 2022.2
Diphtheria can affect anyone, and can also be caught more than once. Immunisation is key to protection. Even individuals recovering from the disease should be immunised against the disease as soon as possible.
The benefits of diphtheria vaccination can lead to herd immunity, which is indirect protection that happens when a community is immunised either through vaccination or from a previous infection. This protects our public health and safeguards individuals who are unable to receive the measles vaccination such as infants or those with allergies or medical issues.
Benefits of Diphtheria Vaccination in Australia
The DTap and Tdap vaccines offer many benefits protecting you from diphtheria and other diseases such as tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough). These vaccines are made of killed or inactivated versions of the disease that are given in a series of shots.
Every shot takes about 2 weeks for your body to make protective antibodies in response to the vaccine. This helps your immune system protect you from the disease and its health complications.
A complete diphtheria vaccine series has a clinical efficacy of virtually 100% for tetanus and 97% for diphtheria. This includes 3 doses for people 7 years or older and 4 doses for children younger than 7. The components of DTaP, DT, Td, and Tdap vaccines protect against diphtheria extremely well and can be up to 95% effective against diphtheria for up to 10 years.3
The diphtheria combination vaccine is also free under the National Immunisation Program in Australia. Eligible individuals for the vaccine are children at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 18 months, 4 years, as well as adolescents aged 12-13 years through school-based vaccination programs.4
Getting Vaccinated at Coolangatta Medical Centre
Protect yourself and your loved ones from diphtheria. At Coolangatta Medical Centre, we offer diphtheria vaccines for all ages in Coolangatta, QLD. The DTap or Tdap vaccine covers several other diseases, such as tetanus and pertussis.
Those who have not been exposed to diphtheria, are unvaccinated or are unsure of their vaccination status can benefit from receiving the measles vaccination unless they are pregnant, underaged, or have allergies with previous vaccines.
Other than this, it is essential to consider the diphtheria vaccine as part of your list of travel vaccinations or booster shots if you and your loved ones are visiting other countries with a high risk of diphtheria infection. The vaccine will also help you stay safe from any serious health complications in the event of exposure.
Consult your doctor before setting any vaccination appointments, or visit us at Coolangatta Medical Centre. Our team of doctors and healthcare professionals will be ready to assist you and inform you if you are a candidate for the diphtheria vaccine and what to expect during your vaccination appointment.
