Diphtheria kills one person in Helderberg and infects three others
There have been four cases of vaccine-preventable diphtheria‚ a bacterial infection that can be deadly‚ in Helderberg in the Western Cape.One person has died. Two infected children were siblings, one infected person was their mother and the other their neighbour.It is not clear who has died.National Institute for Communicable Diseases consultant Prof Lucille Blumberg said the four cases were considered an outbreak, but that there had been no new cases this week."The message [from this] is that children must get their booster vaccination shots at 18 months and at school-going age," she said.The vaccines are given at six weeks‚ 10 weeks and 14 weeks of age. Boosters of the vaccine are given at 18 months‚ six years and 12 years of age.It is likely the infected children did not receive all their vaccines‚ she said.Blumberg said community workers had not found new cases this week in Helderberg and had followed up with all people in the area who had had contact with the patients, to monit...
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