The five doses of diphtheria vaccine given in childhood do not protect for life, so older children and adults need boosters. Dr Kakoli Haldar of the microbiology department at Dhaka Medical College makes the point in a piece for Prothom Alo.
She writes that a recent rise in diphtheria even in developed countries such as Australia has caused concern worldwide. She names the main causes as vaccination rates that slipped after Covid-19, the waning of vaccine protection over time and more international travel; the spread of some new bacterial strains may also play a part.
The disease is not new to Bangladesh. A large outbreak in the Rohingya camps around 2017 and 2018 was brought under control. But many people, adults in particular, have not had booster doses and their immunity has fallen, and in a densely populated country the risk of spread is always high.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial disease caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It mainly attacks the lining of the nose and throat, where it can form a tough grey coating, the pseudomembrane, that may block the airway. The toxin the bacteria release can damage the heart, kidneys and nerves, and without timely treatment the disease kills.
Vaccination is the main defence. Children are protected through the pentavalent vaccine, but that protection does not last for life. Dr Haldar's advice is that after the five childhood doses, a Td or Tdap booster should be taken at 11 to 12 years of age and every 10 years in adulthood.
Besides vaccination she urges covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands regularly and keeping a distance from anyone infected. A severe sore throat, fever, breathing difficulty or a grey coating in the throat needs a doctor without delay, and the patient should be isolated.
Photo: Chad A. Bascom, U.S. Navy / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Source: Prothom Alo
Comments
(0)