The most effective way of preventing diphtheria is to ensure all of your vaccinations are up-to-date.
Vaccination
Vaccinations for diphtheria are part of the routine childhood vaccination schedule. In total, children should receive five doses of the diphtheria vaccination. It's usually combined with other vaccines. For most people, five doses provide a good level of protection against diphtheria.
All babies should be given the combined DTaP/IPV/Hib vaccine when they're two months old. This also vaccinates against:
This vaccination is followed by two more booster vaccinations, which are given at three months and four months of age.
Another booster dose of DTaP/IPV is also recommended for children who are about three years and four months old (the pre-school booster). This protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and polio.
A final booster dose of Td/IPV should be given to children when they're 13 to 18 years old. This protects against diphtheria, tetanus and polio.
If you're not sure whether your family's vaccinations are up-to-date, you should ask at your GP surgery.
Travel vaccinations
Further booster vaccinations may be required if you're going to live or work in parts of the world where diphtheria is widespread. You should have a booster dose if your last dose was more than 10 years ago.
Regions known to have high rates of diphtheria include:
- sub-Saharan Africa (all the countries to the south of the Sahara Desert, particularly Nigeria)
- India
- Nepal
- Bangladesh
- Indonesia
- Philippines
- Vietnam
- Laos
- Papua New Guinea
- Brazil
- Iraq
- Afghanistan
However, the areas that are considered to be high risk for any disease can change. For up-to-date travel information, you can check:
Booster doses
Your risk of developing a diphtheria infection in the UK is very small. Additional booster doses of the diphtheria vaccine aren't usually required. However, if you have a job that puts you at increased risk of infection, such as working at an infectious disease unit or a microbiology laboratory, you may need to have additional vaccinations.
Side effects
After having the diphtheria vaccine, it is common for there to be temporary soreness, redness or swelling at the injection site. A small, painless lump may also form at the injection site. This usually disappears within a few weeks and is not a cause for concern. Severe reactions are very rare.
