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Medical Author:

Steven Doerr, MD

Steven Doerr, MD

Steven Doerr, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician. Dr. Doerr received his undergraduate degree in Spanish from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He graduated with his Medical Degree from the University Of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colorado in 1998 and completed his residency training in Emergency Medicine from Denver Health Medical Center in Denver, Colorado in 2002, where he also served as Chief Resident.

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Medical Editor:

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles "Pat" Davis, MD, PhD, is a board certified Emergency Medicine doctor who currently practices as a consultant and staff member for hospitals. He has a PhD in Microbiology (UT at Austin), and the MD (Univ. Texas Medical Branch, Galveston). He is a Clinical Professor (retired) in the Division of Emergency Medicine, UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, and has been the Chief of Emergency Medicine at UT Medical Branch and at UTHSCSA with over 250 publications.

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Universal immunization is the best measure to prevent diphtheria. The diphtheria toxoid vaccine, which is generally combined with the tetanus and pertussis vaccine, is currently recommended for administration to infants, adolescents, and adults. Immunization for infants and children consists of five DTaP vaccinations generally given at 2, 4, and 6 months, with the fourth dose being administered between 15-18 months, and the fifth dose at 4-6 years of age. Because immunity to diphtheria wanes over time, booster shots are recommended. The adult form of the vaccine, Tdap, is recommended for adolescents 11 or 12 years of age, or in place of one Td booster in older adolescents and adults 19-64 years of age. Whereas diphtheria primarily affected younger children in the pre-vaccination era, an increasing proportion of cases today occur in unvaccinated or inadequately immunized adolescents and adults, a problem which underscores the importance of keeping a current immunization schedule.

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