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Diphtheria in South Africa (Western Cape)

21 August 2017

The South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) reports via media Link 4 cases of diphthereia, including 1 fatality. The 4 cases were reported in Helderberg in the Western Cape and include a mother, 2 children and a neighbor.

Advice to Travellers

Ensure British Vaccination Schedule complete for all travellers including booster doses as teenagers.

Travellers should be aware of:

  • persistence of disease in many regions of the world to which unvaccinated individuals are susceptible
  • waning immunity from diphtheria vaccine with increasing age.

When to consider vaccination

Vaccination should be considered under the following circumstances and is dependent on the individual risk assessment:

  • Individuals with an incomplete primary vaccination history for diphtheria, irrespective of region of travel.
  • Ten-yearly boosters of vaccine should be given for travel to epidemic/endemic areas particularly where individuals will be mixing with the local population (e.g. health workers, teachers, volunteers).

For further information see Diphtheria.

Sources

  • Singapore Ministry of Health