What is Diphtheria?

Diphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness caused by a bacterium that produces a toxin that is carried to the bloodstream. It is very contagious and can be life-threatening if not medically treated.
The respiratory tract is most commonly affected by diphtheria. The toxin can lead to a thick coating (usually fuzzy gray or black) in the nose, throat, and/or airway making it difficult to breath and swallow.
If the disease progresses, it can damage the heart (its ability to pump), the kidneys (their ability to clear waste), and cause nerve damage eventually leading to paralysis.

History.

In the 1920’s, before the introduction of the vaccine, there were approximately 100,000-200,000 cases of diphtheria per year in the United States, causing 13,000-15,000 deaths. Children represented the majority of fatalities in these cases.

Signs and Symptoms.

Signs and symptoms of diphtheria are gradual and usually include a sore throat, a low-grade fever, difficulty swallowing, loss of appetite, and neck swelling may be present.

Transmission.

Diphtheria is easily spread from one person to another by direct physical contact, airborne transmission (sneezing, coughing, laughing), or even coming in contact with tissues and drinking glasses of infected individuals.

Treatment.

Treatment is available for diphtheria, but delaying medical action increases mortality rates. A diphtheria anti-toxin is available only in the United States and is administered along with antibiotics to prevent transmission to others. If the disease is advanced, a ventilator or tracheotomy (incision through the neck into the trachea) may be required to assist breathing.

Diphtheria Today.

Today there are approximately 0-5 cases of diphtheria per year in the United States. Preventing diphtheria depends almost completely on immunizing children with the diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis (DTaP) vaccine. Most cases of diphtheria occur in people who have not received the entire course of the vaccine or have not received the vaccine at all.
Diphtheria booster shots should be received every ten years to provide continued protection.
Routine vaccination of both children and adults is essential to prevent the re-emergence of diphtheria in the United States.

Below is a link to the recommended series of the DTaP vaccine.

http://www.immun-wize.org/uploads/vis-dtap.pdf

Q & A

Is the Mercury preservative in vaccines dangerous?

No! Thimerosal is a mercury-containing preservative that has been used in some vaccines because it has a long record of safely and effectively preventing bacterial and fungal contamination of vaccines, especially multi-dose vials. There has recently been serious debate on the safety of thimerosal due to claims that it contributes to mercury toxicity and impaired neurological development.

The organic form of mercury, methyl mercury, is the kind most often found in the water, soil, plants, and seafood. In large amounts, methyl mercury is a neurotoxin, is more easily absorbed when ingested, and is less readily eliminated from the body than are inorganic forms of mercury.

One inorganic form of mercury is ethyl mercury; thimerosal is a derivative of ethyl mercury. Ethyl mercury from thimerosal-containing vaccines is rapidly eliminated from the body in the stool and does not appear to accumulate after routine immunizations.

No evidence of harm or ill effects of thimerosal have been established other than minor local reactions (such as redness at swelling) at the injection site. There is also no evidence of any harmful effect of thimerosal-containing vaccines on neurological or psychological outcome, including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Although there are no evidenced negative effects of vaccines containing thimerosal, at present, all routinely recommended vaccines for children 6 years of age and younger are available as thimerosal-free formulations or contain only trace amounts of thimerosal (≤1 microgram of mercury per dose). For comparison, 1 microgram is roughly equal to 1 particle of dust. With each breath, we inhale approximately 2000 dust particles!

The only exception is the inactivated influenza vaccine, in which there is a limited supply of the trace-amount or thimerosal-free vaccine. Even influenza vaccines with more than trace amounts of thimerosal still only have amounts that are considered safe by the FDA.

There are two reason thimerosal is being taken out of vaccines. First, multi-dose vials are largely being replaced by single-dose vials, making the risk for contamination much lower. Second, other preservatives, that do not contain any mercury, can be used in some vaccines.

No studies have shown that thimerosal in vaccines is harmful. However, thimerosal is simply being eliminated from vaccines because it can be. For more information, please see www.cdc.gov