En español

Information about diphtheria

Virus or bacteria

Diphtheria is caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. This bacterium releases a powerful toxin that makes people sick.

How it spreads

• Coughing
• Sneezing

About 6 or 7 of 10 susceptible people will typically become infected with diphtheria if exposed.

Symptoms

• Thick membrane covering the back of the throat
• Difficulty breathing and swallowing
• Mild fever
• Sore throat
• Swollen glands
• Loss of appetite

Typical disease timeline

Diphtheria typically lasts up to 2 weeks.

Possible complications

• Heart disease
• Nerve damage
• Suffocation
• Death (10 of 100 people infected)

Other things to know

• The word diphtheria comes from a Greek word that means “leather hide.” It got this name because of the leather-like layer that forms at the back of the throat during an infection.
• Some people carry the bacterium that causes diphtheria in their nose without getting sick, but they can still spread the bacteria to others.
• The bacteria that cause diphtheria only infect people.  

Information about tetanus

Virus or bacteria

Tetanus is caused by Clostridium tetani. This bacterium releases a powerful toxin that makes people sick.

How it spreads

Tetanus spores from the soil enter a wound.

The bacteria that cause tetanus live in the soil. People are often exposed through an open wound. This can happen if a person gets a cut while working outside or if they do not properly cover an existing wound when working with dirt, like when gardening.

Symptoms

• Muscle spasms in the head and neck
• Other muscle spasms
• Seizure-like spasms
• Difficulty swallowing
• Increased blood pressure
• Increased heart rate

Typical disease timeline

Tetanus typically lasts about 4 weeks.

Possible complications

• Difficulty breathing
• Broken bones
• Pneumonia
• Death (10 of 100 people infected)

Other things to know

• Neonatal tetanus may occur in newborns if their umbilical cord stump becomes infected. Neonatal tetanus is a particular problem in developing countries because clean environments or sterile hospital delivery suites are less accessible.
• The bacteria that cause tetanus can be found in the intestines and feces of sheep, cattle, horses, dogs, cats, rats, chickens and guinea pigs.

Information about pertussis

Virus or bacteria

Pertussis is caused by Bordetella pertussis. This bacterium produces many toxins that make people sick.  

How it spreads

• Coughing
• Sneezing

Ten of 10 susceptible people will typically become infected if exposed to one person with pertussis.

Symptoms

Stage 1 lasts up to two weeks:

• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Mild fever
• Coughing 

Stage 2 lasts up to 6 weeks:

• Cough that occurs in bursts and ends with a long intake of air against a narrowed windpipe.

Stage 3 lasts for weeks to months:

• Over time, coughing spells become less frequent and less intense.

Typical disease timeline

The first stage of pertussis lasts about 2 weeks. The second stage lasts up to 6 weeks. The third stage lasts weeks to months. Fewer people will continue experiencing symptoms over time during stage 3.

Possible complications

• Pneumonia
• Seizures
• Meningitis
• Ear infections
• Dehydration
• Loss of appetite
• Death (1 of 500 infected people; most often, infants too young to have received the vaccine)

Other things you should know

• Pertussis is often transmitted from adults to children instead of from children to adults, like most other diseases.
• Pertussis is also called whooping cough because of the whooping sound people make when they cough. The whooping sound is made when trying to breathe in against a narrowed windpipe.
• Bordetella pertussis only infects people. But another strain of Bordetella causes kennel cough in dogs. It is known as Bordetella bronchiseptica.

Vaccine information

The diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccines are used to prevent these diseases. They are typically given as a combination vaccine in the U.S.

Before these vaccines, each year in the U.S.:

• About 1,800 people died from diphtheria
• About 500 died from tetanus
• About 8,000 died from pertussis

Vaccine type

• Inactivated toxoid vaccines
• Combination vaccines

Different vaccine formulations and vaccine side effects

DTaP

The DTaP vaccine prevents diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. This vaccine is used in infants and young children.

DTaP vaccine side effects

Common

• Pain, redness or swelling at the injection site (20 to 40 of 100 recipients)
• Low-grade fever (3 to 5 of 100 recipients)
• Drowsiness or crankiness (15 to 60 of 100 recipients)

Rare

• Inconsolable crying (Fewer than 1 of 10,000 recipients)
• Hypotonic-hyporesponsive syndrome (About 1 of 10,000 recipients)
• Fever of 105°F or greater (Fewer than 1 of 10,000 recipients)
• Fever-associated seizures (Fewer than 1 of 10,000 recipients)

Very rare

• Serious allergic reaction (About 1 of every 1,000,000 recipients)

Tdap

The Tdap vaccine, like DTaP, prevents diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. But Tdap is used in a different age group. Tdap contains lesser quantities of diphtheria and pertussis components than DTaP to decrease the number of side effects experienced by teens and adults. One dose is recommended at 11-12 years of age. Likewise, Tdap can be used for the booster doses recommended every 10 years throughout adulthood. Pregnant women are also recommended to get the Tdap vaccine between 27 and 36 weeks of gestation during each pregnancy.

Watch this video to find out which adults need a Tdap vaccine.

Tdap vaccine side effects

Common

• Pain at the injection site (66 of 100 recipients)
• Redness at the injection site (25 of 100 recipients)
• Swelling at the injection site (21 of 100 recipients)
• Low-grade fever (1 to 2 of 100 recipients)
• Headache (33 to 44 of 100 recipients)
• Body aches or muscle weakness (21 to 31 of 100 recipients)
• Fatigue (15 of 100 recipients)

Rare

• None

Very rare

• Serious allergic reaction (About 1 of every 1,000,000 recipients)

Td

The Td vaccine prevents diphtheria and tetanus, but it does not prevent pertussis. The Td vaccine is used primarily for people who can't get the pertussis vaccine. It can also be used for booster doses of tetanus recommended every 10 years throughout adulthood.

Td vaccine side effects

Common

• Pain, redness and tenderness at the injection site (35 to 78 of 100 recipients)
• Headache (18 to 40 of 100 recipients)
• Fatigue (About 10 of 100 recipients)
• Nausea (About 10 of 100 recipients)
• Muscle weakness or body aches (About 10 of 100 recipients)
• Swollen or sore joints (About 10 of 100 recipients)
• Fever (100.4°F or greater) (1 of 100 recipients)

Rare

• None

Very rare

• Serious allergic reaction (About 1 of every 1,000,000 recipients)

Reasons to get the diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis vaccines

• Disease caused by diphtheria can make a comeback.
• Tetanus is not transmitted from person to person. The spores live in the soil. So, your chance of getting tetanus does not decrease even if everyone around you is immunized.
• Pertussis is very common and often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed.
• Pertussis immunization protects babies too young to have been immunized and for whom the disease can be fatal.
• The vaccines are safe.