What is Diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection that targets the respiratory tract of a human It mainly affects the nose and throat but has serious impacts on the lungs and heart if not treated It is highly contagious and is spread through the air by someone coughing or sneezing or by contact with the carrier such as their clothing or their skin nhs direct wales nhs uk 2018 Diphtheria is caused by a toxin that is released from a bacterium and not the bacterium itself Trade Names Diphtheria Vaccine s trade names are Pediacel or Infanrix IPV Hib Repevax and Revaxis Gov uk 2018 Diphtheria s type of vaccine Toxoid vaccines use a toxin that is made by the bacteria in Diphtheria s case Corynebacterium ulcerans they create immunity to the parts of bacteria that cause a disease instead of the bacteria itself That means that the immune system targets the toxin and not the bacteria Vaccines gov 2018 Corynebacterium diphtheriae infects the nasopharynx or skin Toxigenic strains secrete a potent exotoxin which may cause diphtheria Murphy J et al 1996 Route of Administration The route of administration of the vaccine is intramuscular The pharmaceutical form of the vaccine is a suspension and has a shelf life of 3 years and must be stored in a refrigerator 2ºC to 8ºC The vaccine is used for active immunisation and contains other active ingredients in the formulation such as tetanus and poliomyelitis Electronic Medicines Compendium 2018 Vaccine Combination
