Diphtheria News and Research

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Diphtheria is a disease caused by a bacterium, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, that usually affects the tonsils, throat, nose and/or skin. It is passed from person to person by droplet transmission, usually by breathing in diphtheria bacteria after an infected person has coughed or sneezed. Although diphtheria disease is rare in the U.S., it appears that C diphtheriae continues to circulate in areas of the country with previously endemic diphtheria. Diphtheria also occurs in many other parts of the world.

A 194-country analysis reveals gaps in how late childhood vaccinations are tracked

A global analysis of WHO/UNICEF data from 194 countries found wide variation in countries’ ability to record delayed childhood vaccinations, with 64% of reporting countries saying they could capture late doses in 2022. Following birth cohorts over time and adding delayed MCV1 doses raised median coverage estimates by 3.6 to 5.1 percentage points across available cohort years, though incomplete and inconsistent reporting limited confidence in some estimates.

21 Sep 2026

The US switch in shingles vaccines revealed an unexpected heart health pattern

In a natural experiment involving 72,920 propensity-matched US adults aged 60 years and older, recombinant shingles vaccination was associated with a 9% lower cardiovascular disease burden over seven years compared with the live attenuated vaccine. Lower burdens of ischemic heart disease and heart failure were seen in both sexes, while ischemic stroke was significantly lower only among men, supporting further clinical trials and mechanistic studies

27 Aug 2026

Why pregnancy vaccination looks very different in Germany than it did 19 years ago

A 19-year German claims analysis of more than 2.8 million pregnancies found that recorded maternal vaccination increased substantially after national recommendations for influenza and pertussis immunization were introduced. Influenza vaccination reached 19.4% and pertussis vaccination about 37% in 2020-2022, while COVID-19 vaccination was not captured in the databas

19 Aug 2026

Fridge-free vaccine shows promise for reaching millions more people worldwide

The world-first trial of a fridge-free tetanus-diphtheria vaccine at University Hospital Southampton (UHS) has produced encouraging results that could improve access worldwide to crucial treatments.

10 Aug 2026

Two heart nerve cell types sustain cardiac stability in mice

Researchers identified two major intrinsic cardiac neuron populations in mice: Npy-positive neurons regulate parasympathetic heart rate control and support coronary perfusion, while Ddah1-positive neurons help maintain electrical stability during extreme stress. Removing Npy-positive neurons caused fatal cardiac failure, whereas loss of Ddah1-positive neurons increased susceptibility to malignant arrhythmias and sudden cardiac arrest under stress.

23 Jul 2026

Survey finds widespread uncertainty over pregnancy vaccine recommendations

Most Americans are unaware or unsure of which vaccines the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends during pregnancy, according to a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania.

22 Jul 2026

Global child immunization rates stall despite minor pandemic recovery

In 2025, 90% of infants globally – or nearly 116 million – received at least one dose of a diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) vaccine, and 85% – or 110 million – completed the full three-dose series, according to the annual WHO-UNICEF Estimates of National Immunization Coverage (WUENIC) released today.

15 Jul 2026

Australia’s diphtheria outbreak shows why boosters, antibiotics, and better housing all matter

A 131-case diphtheria outbreak in Australia’s Northern Territory showed how toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae can re-emerge even in highly vaccinated populations. Genomic and epidemiological evidence linked most cases to a dominant ST381 strain, with transmission shaped by overcrowding, poor skin health, and persistent health inequities.

15 Jun 2026

Extensive data analysis confirms the safety of aluminum adjuvanted vaccines

Current evidence does not support direct (causal) associations between aluminium adjuvanted vaccines and serious or long-term health outcomes, including autism, diabetes, and asthma, finds a review of the latest data published by The BMJ today.

7 May 2026

Sudan accounts for the world’s largest ongoing humanitarian health crisis

After three years of war, Sudan now accounts for the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with 34 million people needing aid, 21 million lacking health services, and repeated attacks crippling a medical system already weakened by disease and hunger.

15 Apr 2026

Study suggests shingles vaccine may help lower Alzheimer’s and dementia risk

A large observational electronic health record study found that older adults receiving the recombinant zoster vaccine showed substantially lower rates of diagnosed dementia compared with matched unvaccinated individuals. The association persisted after multiple sensitivity analyses, although causality remains unproven and longer follow-up is required given the long latency of dementia.

10 Feb 2026

Vaccines are helping older people more than we knew

Let's be clear: The primary reason to be vaccinated against shingles is that two shots provide at least 90% protection against a painful, blistering disease that a third of Americans will suffer in their lifetimes, one that can cause lingering nerve pain and other nasty long-term consequences.

14 Jan 2026

The CDC just sidelined these childhood vaccines. Here’s what they prevent.

The federal government has drastically scaled back the number of recommended childhood immunizations, sidelining six routine vaccines that have safeguarded millions from serious diseases, long-term disability, and death.

6 Jan 2026

Whooping cough cases rise sharply across the United States

Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a vaccination-preventable illness that has been on the rise in the United States. Following a several-year lull during the pandemic, cases of whooping cough rose sixfold in 2024 and remain high.

18 Dec 2025

Kennedy sharpens vaccine attacks, without scientific backing

As the federal government prepares for the next meeting of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has intensified his attacks on aluminum vaccine components used in many shots to boost the body's immune response.

24 Nov 2025

Waning immunity and falling vaccination rates fuel pertussis outbreaks

Rates of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, are surging in Texas, Florida, California, Oregon, and other states and localities across the country.

20 Nov 2025

COVID-19 pandemic linked to diminishing public trust in childhood vaccines

An international study led by the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee at Bar-Ilan University reveals that the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to a diminishing public trust in childhood vaccines, resulting in declining vaccination rates and a resurgence of preventable, life-threatening diseases such as measles.

28 Oct 2025

Doctors muffled as Florida moves to end decades of childhood vaccination mandates

Florida plans to end nearly a half-century of required childhood immunizations against diseases that have killed and maimed millions of children. Many critics of the decision, including doctors, are afraid to speak up against it.

27 Oct 2025

Study finds lower vaccine uptake in children from certain socioeconomic and migration backgrounds

In the Netherlands, the National Immunisation Programme (NIP) was established in 1957. This programme provides free and voluntary vaccinations against 13 serious infectious diseases and has drastically reduced child and young adult mortality across the country.

10 Oct 2025

Yale researchers develop new test for early leptospirosis detection

In a new study, Yale School of Medicine (YSM) researchers unveiled a novel diagnostic method for detecting leptospiral virulence-modifying (VM) proteins in the blood and urine of hamsters, an advance that could pave the way for early diagnosis of the tropical disease leptospirosis in humans and improved treatment options.

29 Sep 2025