TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Diphtheria is an infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheria bacteria that attacks people – mainly children – that lack sufficient immune system. Children at the age of 1-10 are susceptible to be infected by it.

Infections can be caused by diphtheria microbes that transfer through the air such as coughs and sneeze, through touches, and towels that are contaminated by the germs. Diphtheria can be easily transmitted to people who have not been vaccinated with the diphtheria vaccine.

Read also: 22 Children in Jakarta Infected with Diphtheria

Diphtheria prevention can be done mainly by immunization, such as the diphtheria immunization program that Indonesia provided for the last 5 decades. There are three types of diphtheria vaccines, such as the DPT-HB-Hib, DT Vaccine, and Td Vaccine that is given to different ages. Diphtheria immunization is given to toddlers under the age of one through Basic Immunization that consists of 3 doses of DPT-HB-Hib vaccines with each separated by a month.

It is then followed by a booster immunization to 18-month toddlers that consist of one dose of DPT-HB-Hib, meanwhile, first-grade students are given a single dose of the DT vaccine, second graders are given a single dose of Td vaccine, then fifth-grade students are given one dose of the Td vaccine.

The success in preventing diphtheria through immunization is determined by the amount of immunization itself, which should be at least 95 percent. The diphtheria outbreak is suspected to be caused by an immunity gap within society in a certain region which can also be caused by people’s refusal and skepticism towards immunization.

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