‘Keeping vaccination rates high’ the best way to protect against diphtheria
A diphtheria outbreak in the Northern Territory has spread to Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia, with the Federal Health Minister Mark Butler indicating that the current outbreak is among Australia's worst.
The NT has reported at least 140 cases, while there have been at 85 cases reported in WA, seven in SA and around five in Queensland, according to Australia's CDC.
In response, the federal government has announced a 7.2 million-dollar funding package to help combat the outbreak.
Diphtheria is a highly infectious disease caused by two bacteria that can spread either through respiratory contact or skin-to-skin contact.
These bacteria can cause skin sores and ulcers, fever and sore throat, difficulty breathing, and in severe cases can damage the heart and nerves.
Associate Professor Erin Price from the University of the Sunshine Coast told the AusSMC that the current outbreak is significant because it is primarily affecting First Nations communities across multiple Australian states and territories.
“Although health outcomes in First Nations people have improved in recent years, they still face higher rates of acute and chronic diseases than non-indigenous Australians,” she said.
Dr Matthew Mason, also from the University of the Sunshine Coast, told the AusSMC that over 98% of cases are affecting Indigenous Australians primarily from remote communities, where they already face “significant barriers to health care”.
“This is a vaccine-preventable disease. Every case represents a failure somewhere in our public health system,” he said.
Vaccination for diphtheria has been used safely for many years, making it traditionally rare in Australia, and the vaccine typically also targets tetanus and whooping cough.
Dr Chris Blyth, Co-head of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at The Kids Research Institute said that the vaccines work by training the immune system to recognise and block the toxin that causes illness.
“Vaccination protects not just individuals, but the whole community. Keeping vaccination rates high at all ages is the best way to protect people from deadly diseases like diphtheria,” he said.
According to Dr Mason, the outbreak is not just due to vaccine hesitancy, but reflects decades of under-investment in culturally appropriate, community-led health infrastructure.
“That said, vaccine hesitancy accelerated through the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with lagging booster uptake among adolescents and adults, has created dangerous gaps in herd immunity,” he said.
“The diphtheria vaccine is safe and effective. The science is unambiguous. What is needed is political will, adequate resourcing, and community trust, built through partnership, not paternalism.”
You can read the full AusSMC Expert Reaction here.
This article originally appeared in Science Deadline, a weekly newsletter from the AusSMC. You are free to republish this story, in full, with appropriate credit.
Contact: Steven Mew
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