Diphtheria Vaccine

About Diphtheria Vaccine

The diphtheria toxoid vaccine was developed in 1923. Diphtheria was a major killer of children, causing approximately 15,000 deaths annually in the US before the vaccine. The disease produces a thick gray membrane in the throat that can cause suffocation. A diphtheria epidemic in Nome, Alaska in 1925 inspired the Iditarod sled dog race, as dog teams relayed diphtheria antitoxin 674 miles. The final leg of the serum run was completed by Gunnar Kaasen and his lead dog Balto. The vaccine is administered as part of the DTaP combination. Diphtheria cases fell dramatically after vaccination began. A massive diphtheria epidemic in the former Soviet Union in the 1990s caused over 157,000 cases and 5,000 deaths, demonstrating what happens when vaccination rates fall. Diphtheria remains endemic in some developing countries.