CURRENT STATUS OF DIPHTHERIA VACCINATION AND PREVENTION

This article compiles and summarizes all previously published recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the prevention and control of pertussis, tetanus, and diphtheria in the United States. Due to safety concerns associated with the whole-cell pertussis component of the DTP vaccine, an acellular pertussis vaccine was developed and replaced DTP in the 1990s. Since 1997, a 5-dose schedule of the DTaP vaccine has been recommended for infants and young children.