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.

Students starting school and college in September are at increased risk of serious illnesses

A leading testing expert fears a perfect storm of infections in September as students start at schools and colleges. School closures during Covid lockdowns mean 1-in-8 students starting university this year remains unprotected against meningitis. Concern is growing early symptoms may be confused with freshers’ flu.

4 Sep 2023

Scientists urge vaccination funding as Ghana and Nigeria grapple with anthrax outbreaks

As Ghana and Nigeria grapple with outbreaks of anthrax, scientists say governments must prioritize funds for vaccination to prevent a re-emergence of the disease across West Africa.

18 Aug 2023

Prior vaccinations may help protect against Alzheimer's disease

Prior vaccination against tetanus and diphtheria, with or without pertussis (Tdap/Td); herpes zoster (HZ), better known as shingles; and pneumococcus are all associated with a reduced risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, according to new research from UTHealth Houston.

16 Aug 2023

Community health workers boost child vaccination rates in remote Madagascar

Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world and access to health care is limited for many people.

10 Aug 2023

Pertussis vaccination responses in COPD patients

Researchers evaluated the humoral and cellular immune responses to pertussis vaccination in COPD patients.

21 Jul 2023

The effect of dietary supplements on antibody levels in pregnant women vaccinated with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine

Researchers discuss the effects of supplements on antibody levels following immunization against SARS-CoV-2 with inactivated vaccines.

21 Jul 2023

CDC to reduce funding for states’ child vaccination programs

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reducing funding to states for child vaccination programs, according to an agency email obtained by KFF Health News.

5 Jul 2023

Study describes health outcomes following simultaneous vaccination with monovalent primary series COVID-19 vaccines

Researchers described simultaneous vaccination with primary series SARS-CoV-2 vaccines

19 Jun 2023

Study reveals factors impacting pertussis antibody half-lives in infants, sheds light on preterm infants' resilience

Researchers compared two methods of half-life estimation to evaluate the half-life of maternal antibodies.

9 Jun 2023

Vaccination coverage drops in U.S. schools, raising concerns of outbreaks

Research highlights the decline in national coverage of state-required vaccines among kindergarten students during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years. Despite a low exemption rate, vaccination coverage decreased further in the latter year, indicating ongoing COVID-19 disruptions and emphasizing the need for increased follow-up with under-vaccinated students to protect against vaccine-preventable diseases.

22 May 2023

Advancing the development of vaccines through recombinant technology

In this interview, News-Medical talks to Dr. Amy Sheng, the head of CRO at Sino Biological, about current developments in the field of vaccine development through recombinant techniques.

From Sino Biological Inc. 4 May 2023

A high proportion of adults in Europe do not have protective antibody concentrations against diphtheria

Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of seroprotection against tetanus and diphtheria among residents in Austria.

1 May 2023

Adherence to national guidelines for childhood vaccination on the rise, study shows

The percentage of children under 19 months who received all recommended vaccines on-time steadily improved from 22.5% in 2011 to 34.9% in 2020, according to a new national study.

28 Apr 2023

New DCFHP-alum COVID-19 vaccine candidate shows durable, broad-spectrum protection in non-human primates

The newly developed DCFHP-alum COVID-19 vaccine candidate is affordable and effective for mass vaccination.

18 Apr 2023

Low vaccine coverage fuels recurrence of diphtheria in Nigeria

Low vaccine coverage and weak infrastructure have fuelled a recurrence of diphtheria in Nigeria, especially in rural areas beset by poor access to healthcare services, public health experts say.

28 Mar 2023

Montana considers new wave of legislation to loosen vaccination rules

When Deb Horning's youngest daughter was 5, she got her measles, mumps, and rubella shot like many other kindergartners. But unlike many other moms, Horning had to stay away from her daughter for a week after the shot.

10 Mar 2023

A technicality could keep RSV shots from kids in need

After more than five decades of trying, the drug industry is on the verge of providing effective immunizations against the respiratory syncytial virus, which has put an estimated 90,000 U.S. infants and small children in the hospital since the start of October.

6 Feb 2023