The U.S. government agency that monitors epidemics and contagious disease is urging adults to keep their vaccinations current, especially if they plan to travel abroad. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (usually called CDC) noted that two U.S. citizens recently came down with diphtheria after returning from overseas.
In the United States, fewer than five cases of the highly contagious disease have been reported each year since 1980. But a shortage of vaccine in Eastern Europe caused a major outbreak of the potentially fatal illness in that region in 1990.Visitors to Eastern Europe or the former Soviet Union may contract diphtheria and/or bring it back to the United States unless they've had a booster within the past 10 years. The CDC said as many as 60 percent of Americans over 20 have never had a booster.
Travelers also need to keep tetanus vaccinations current unless they want to expose themselves to the widespread bacterium that causes lockjaw.
A task force of the American College of Physicians said even more important than getting routine revaccinations for diphtheria and tetanus are shots against what is called the "trinity" of diseases: influenza, hepatitis B and illnesses caused by pneumococcus bacteria.
These include pneumonia, sepsis and meningitis, which together kill more than 65,000 adult Americans each year, according to CDC.
The CDC's health information line for international travelers can tell people what immunizations are necessary for a particular destination. Call 1-404-332-4559; have a paper and pencil ready.