The Present Problem of Diphtheria Control in the United States

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
During 1958 the United State Public Health Service''s Communicable Disease Center received data concerning 923 confirmed cases of diphtheria. From these data the following observations were made. (1) Diphtheria morbidity and mortality remains primarily a problem among the unvaccinated. Fully 62% of all diphtheria cases had never received a single dose of vaccine. (2) Diphtheria morbidity and mortality remains primarily a problem among children. Of all cases and deaths 83% occurred among individuals under 20 years of age. (3) Diphtheria morbidity and mortality are increasingly becoming a problem among the non-white population. The attack rate of the non-white population is 7 times greater than that of the white population. The problem of diphtheria control therefore remains the problem of immunization, and the re-emphasis of present programs among preschool and school age children seems necessary.

This publication has 6 references indexed in Scilit: