Diphtheria in Udon Thani
As we have reported in the news on 11 November, in recent weeks in Udon Thani a lot of people are suffering from diphtheria. Some people have died from the effects of the disease, the exact number of victims is not known. Diphtheria is a bacterial disease of the upper respiratory tract. It is highly contagious and is transmitted by contact with infected people, breathing contaminated air (droplet infection), and occasionally by contact with contaminated objects.
The primary vaccination, which protects against infection, consists of 3 vaccinations by injection. The first injection, which may be enough to provide immunity, may be repeated at the earliest after 4 weeks. The third injection will be administered after 6 to 12 months - the primary vaccination. After administration of the third injection, the subject should be immune from diphtheria for up to ten years.
The Thai authorities have during several mass vaccination campaigns vaccinated large populations of Udon Thani for free. In most cases it was just a single injection, and the patients were not informed that this may be insufficient protection against infection when no primary vaccination had been previously been administered.
We have information about the materials used in the free vaccinations provided as a PDF download here.
posted on: 12.11.2012 - last update on: 19.10.2013
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