Diphtheria Vaccine

What effect does it have good or bad?

Diphtheria causes a thick covering in the back of the throat. Can cause breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure and even death. There are several combinations of this vaccine such as: DTaP, Tdap, DT, and Td. Diphtheria vaccine is used to protect against the diseases of tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis.

Who should not be Vaccinated?

DTaP- some children who are moderately or severely ill. Any child wo has a life threatening allergic reaction after a dose of DTaP should not get another one. Any child who suffered a brain or nervous system disease.

Tdap- Anyone who has had a coma, or long or multiple seizures. Anyone whose had a severe allergic reaction to any component of a vaccine.

The DTaP and DT are generally given to children younger then 7 years of age. And the Tdap and Td are given to older children and adults.

What do the letters mean?

The uppercase letters denote full strength doses of diphtheria(D)

and tetanus(T) toxids and pertussis(P). The lowercase “d” and

“p” denote reduced doses. The “a” in DTaP and Tdap stands for a

cellular which means that the pertussis component contains only

a part of pertussis organism.

Side Effects from Diphtheria Vaccine

Some risks from having the Tdap or Td vaccine can be brief fainting spells and jerking movements.

Some mild side effects of Tdap are: Pain Redness or swelling at the injection site Mild fever of at least 100.4 degrees Headache Tiredness Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach ache Chills, body aches, sore joints, rash or swollen glands

Moderate side effects: Pain at injection site Fever over 102 degrees Headache Nausea and vomiting

Side effects continued…..Mild side effects of Td vaccine:

Pain Redness or swelling Mild fever Headache or tiredness

Moderate side effects: Fever over 102 degrees

With Tdap or Td you may experience extensive swelling of the arm where shot was given. Some severe problems that can be caused from receiving Tdap or Td can be:Swelling, severe pain, bleeding and redness in the arm.

Diphtheria Vaccine covers: Tetanus, Pertussis, Toxids and Diphtheria

What is Diphtheria?Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection usually affecting the mucous

membrane of the nose and throat.

Diphtheria typically causes a sore throat, fever, swollen glands and

weakness. The hallmark sign of this disease is a sheet of thick gray

material covering back of throat. Which can block the wind pipe so that

you struggle to breath.

There are medicatons to treat diphtheria however in advanced stages of

diphtheria can cause damage to your heart, kidneys, and nervous

system.

As many as 10% of people who get diphtheria die from it.

Diphtheria

Causes of DiphtheriaDiphtheria is caused by Bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheria it can spread by 3 different routes:

Airborne droplets: When an infected person sneezes or coughs release a mist of contaminated droplets.

Contaminated personal Items: can occasionally contract by handling an infected person’s used tissues, drinking from the infected unwashed glasses.

Contaminated household items: In rare cases diphtheria infected people can spread by such things as towels or toys.

You can also get diphtheria from touching an open wound.

Risk factors and

Complications to be expected

Children and adults not up to date with immunizations People living in crowded unsanitary conditions People with compromised immune systems Anyone who travels to areas where diphtheria is an endemic.

Left untreated diphtheria can lead to: Breathing problems, heart damage and nerve damage.

What is Tetanus?Tetanus is a serious bacterial disease that affects the nervous system

which leads to painful muscle contractions, particularly in the jaw and

neck.

Tetanus can interfere with the ability to breathe and can ultimately

threaten your life. Commonly known as “Lockjaw”

There is no cure for tetanus, treatments focus on the complications

until the issue with the toxin is resolved.

Fatality is highest in individuals who have not been immunized or in

older adults with inadequate immunizations.

Symptoms of TetanusSymptoms can appear in a matter of a few days to several weeks. You may experience : Spasms and stiffness in your jaw muscles Stiffness in neck muscles Difficulty swallowing Stiffness of abdominal muscles Painful body spasms lasting several minutes

Other symptoms may be: Fever Sweating Elevated blood pressure Rapid heart rate

CAUSES AND COMPLICATIONS

Tetanus is caused by a bacteria called Colstridium tetani which is

commonly found in soil, dust and animal feces.

Complications that may occur from tetanus are:

Broken bones, disability and even death.

RISK FACTORSSome things that can contribute risks to Tetanus are: Lack of immunization A penetrating injury Injured tissue A foreign body such as a nail or splinter Swelling around the injury The presence of other infective bacteria

There have also been cases of Tetanus caused from: Gunshot wounds Compound Fractures Crash injuries Burns Surgical wounds Injection drug use Ear infections Animal bites Infected foot ulcers Infected umbilical stumps in newborns born of inadequately immunized

mothers.

What is Pertussis?Pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial disease that causes uncontrollable , violent coughing.

Some things that cause pertussis are upper respiratory infections which are caused by the Bordetella pertussis or Bordetella parapertussis bacteria. It is a serious disease which can cause permanent disability and even death in infants.

Pertussis is easily spread by an infected person sneezing or coughing infection usually only last 6 weeks. Whooping cough can affect people of any age. And before vaccines it was most common in infants and young children.

Symptoms of PertussisSome symptoms of Pertussis can be:

Runny nose

Slight fever (102 degrees or lower)

Diarrhea

In children there is usually a cough followed by a “whoop” noise

Coughing spells may lead to vomiting or a short loss of consciousness.